Malin Byström unveils Salome once again
“How beautiful is the Princess Salome tonight!” This new Chandos recording of Strauss’ monstrous one-acter based on Oscar Wilde is very beautiful indeed. Recorded in concert at the 2022 Edinburgh International Festival, Edward Gardner conducts the Bergen Philharmonic in a ravishing, silky account.
It stars Swedish soprano Malin Byström, one of today’s leading exponents of the title role. I’ve loved her Salome since watching her at Covent Garden in 2018, notable for her singing the music (rather than screeching it) and for her remarkable pacing so she still had enough left in the tank for the taxing final scene. I love her timbre and her way with the text. This new recording is very good and would be highly recommendable… were it not for the fact that she has already recorded it (even better) before.
In 2017, Byström made her role debut in Ivo van Hove’s stylish new production at Dutch National Opera which ended with her bloodsoaked Salome caressing the entire body of Joachanaan (head very much still intact) in a giant silver bowl. The recording was released on DVD and on CD on the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s own label and, to put it bluntly, it’s an even stronger performance under the direction of Daniele Gatti, then the RCO’s Chief Conductor. Byström’s soprano, silvery rather than steely, makes Salome sound suitably young and precocious, with a cloudy, sultry lower register. For Gardner, Byström’s tone is slightly narrower at the top, with less of a silvery gleam and she now snatches at a few high notes.
The Amsterdam recording also benefits from the dramatic engagement of a staged performance (although there is zero stage noise), whereas in the Edinburgh concert performance, Byström sounds slightly less “enthralled” in the final scene. It’s marginal – and Byström fans will clearly need both, plus the DVD – but the earlier recording is the stronger one, not least for the company her Salome keeps.
Gardner’s cast is solid without being stellar. His standout is Gerhard Siegel’s slippery Herodes, animated, incisive with the text. Johan Reuter is vocally stretched as Jochanaan, his sinewy baritone needing more meat on the bone. As Herodias Katarina Dalayman’s mezzo sounds hollow, but Bror Magnus Tødenes is a youthful and ardent Narraboth and Hanna Hipp is full of foreboding as the Page (a role she also sings at DNO). Gatti has Evgeny Nikitin as a burly Jochanaan, with his gnarly, biting baritone. Lance Ryan is an excellent Herodes, even if he is upstaged by Doris Soffel’s brilliant, viperish Herodias.
The Bergen Philharmonic plays stylishly for Gardner, but turn to Gatti’s Concertgebouw and they fully embrace the lurid decadence of Strauss’ score. Listen, in the Dance of the Seven Veils, to their alluring portamentos, where the Bergen Phil are a touch shy. Or the orchestral response to Salome’s initial demand for Jochanaan’s head: Gardner’s players sound matter-of-fact where Gatti’s sound appalled.
Some of this is down to the respective engineering. The Chandos is recorded at a lower level – crank up the volume! – with voices embedded within the orchestra. Despite being confined to the pit, the Royal Concertgebouw is captured more vividly, with huge bass heft, in remarkably wide stereo. Happily, both are well presented. The Chandos release has a fine essay by Gavin Plumley, while the stylish RCO hardback book has glossy pages and contains production photos. And both include a libretto and translations (English and French on RCO, English only on Chandos).
Malin Byström (Salome), Johan Reuter (Jochanaan), Katarina Dalayman (Herodias), Gerhard Siegel (Herodes), Bror Magnus Tødenes (Narraboth), Hanna Hipp (Herodias's Page), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner (Chandos CHSA5356(2))
Comparison:
Malin Byström (Salome), Doris Soffel (Herodias), Lance Ryan (Herodes), Evgeny Nikitin (Jochanaan), Peter Sonn (Narraboth) Hanna Hipp (Herodias's Page), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Daniele Gatti (RCO18001)