Richard Strauss - Elektra - Borkh, Schech, Madeira, FD - Böhm 1960Performer: Sieglinde Wagner, Renate Reinecke, Gerda Scheyrer, Inge Borkh, Gerhard Unger, Siegfried Vogel, Cvetka Ahlin, Ilona Steingruber, Margarete Sjösted, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Fritz Uhl, Marianne Schech, Fred Teschler, Judith Hellwig, Hermi Ambros, Jean Madeira
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Dresden Staatskapelle, Dresden State Opera Chorus
Date of Recording: 10/1960
Venue: Lukaskirche, Dresden, East Germany
But the performance is magnicent. Bohm is in his element, and the Staatskapelle Dresden, as I hinted before, give him their all, which is quite a lot. Inge Borkh was the best interpreter of the role, even more so than Nilsson. She was as steady as Nilsson (except for her high C, but still, that is not bad), and she brought a more detailed character to Elektra, better conveying her fractured mental state and different moods. Jean Madeira delivers everything as Klytamnestra. Her voice is totally secure for the whole time she is on stage, and her voice is sumptuous. She avoids the histrionics that ruin some performances of the role, but still manages to convey the Klytamnestra's mania and twisted sickness. Marianne Schech as Chrysothemis is excellent, her tone suffieciently different from Borkh's so that you can tell them apart. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Orest is wonderful, warm and serious at the same time. He has no trouble with the notes, and manages to sound just perfect for the role, as if it was written for him. Lastly, Fritz Uhl is a pefectly suspicious, conniving, depraved Aegisth. All of the supporting roles are filled well, with the luxury casting of Gerhard Unger (the best character opera singer that ever lived) as the junger Diener. --Amazon customer
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