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A little under a year ago, the celebrated Wagnerian soprano Birgit Nilsson died, and her record companies have been reissuing her recordings ever since – a fitting tribute to an important artist.
However, her performance in this DVD of Strauss' Elektra from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York is perhaps the most disappointing thing I've seen all year.
Well past her prime, Nilsson is frequently out of tune, out of breath and out of synch with the orchestra. The stamina and vocal reserves that once characterised her singing - such as in the famous Georg Solti recording of Wagner's Ring - have almost entirely disappeared, while her reportedly electric stage presence and acting ability aren't much in evidence.
For many, Elektra is Strauss' masterpiece. Does he ever go more extreme? Is he ever so compact or direct? Are his characterisations ever so vivid, or his orchestrations quite so inventive, in any of his other operas? Der Rosenkavalier will always be more popular – and perhaps more appealing – but for me, Elektra is a unique experience that hits the mind and heart quite unlike any other opera in the repertoire.
Although it's short, the title role in Elektra is one of the most gruelling challenges to any actress, and Nilsson visibly flags as the performance goes on. That this is one of the most desperately dull opera DVDs I've ever seen is also partly due to the bizarre stage and costume designs of Rudolph Heinrich, which evoke everything from Roman togas to a 1930s dress. Meanwhile, the camera work is primitive – almost bootleg quality – and the sound is terribly boxed in.
Back in 1980, James Levine was quite a sprightly conductor, and he brings out a luminosity in the Met Orchestra that's often missing in their later Wagner recordings together. Indeed, if you must buy the recording, let it be for Levine or either of the two other female stars, both of whom outshine Nilsson by a mile. Leonie Rysanek is absolutely on the nail with her pitching, phrasing and breath control as Chrysothemis, and clearly tries to highlight some of the sexual ambiguity lurking in her relationship with her sister Elektra, albeit to an unresponsive Nilsson.
Perhaps the finest singing comes from Mignon Dunn as Klytämnestra. A genuine Strauss singer, she has the expression, the full-blooded delivery, the projection and the stage presence for this haunted character. Sadly, neither Donald McIntyre nor Robert Nagy were at their best, as Orest and Aegisth, respectively. Both have problems of projection (though the primitive recording may be partly to blame), and neither is imposing dramatically, either. The other singers are barely adequate, but the five maids in the opening scene are all pretty good; the performance only really falls apart because of the sad miscasting of Nilsson.
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