Opera Scotland

Salome 1956Hamburg State Opera

Read more about the opera Salome

Leopold Ludwig and his Hamburg forces had gained invaluable experience in 1952 when they had brought substantial pieces such as Fidelio, Meistersinger and Rosenkavalier to the diminutive King's. Perhaps that is why the only truly large-scale item on the 1956 programme was this Salome. Then again, in 1968 they would come back with the Dutchman and Elektra.

In addition to Salome, the 1956 visit included Die Zauberflöte, a double-bill of little-known Stravinsky pieces, Oedipus Rex and Mavra, with a real rarity in the delightful comedy The Barber of Bagdad by Peter Cornelius.

Christel Goltz was reckoned to be one of the best Salomes active at the time. While Helga Pilarczyk looked unusually convincing in the part, acting the teenager quite naturally, her voice was much lighter, and struggled to project through the orchestral sound. The production was a thoroughly convincing one, overall perhaps the best the Hamburg company brought that year.

Cast details are from a copy of the programme in the OperaScotland collection.