Richard Strauss - Salome (Herbert von Karajan)

Information

Composer: Richard Strauss

• Salome, Op. 54

Hildegard Behrens; José van Dam; Karl-Walter Böhm

Agnes Baltsa; Wiesław Ochman; Heljä Angervo

Wiener Philharmoniker

Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Date: 1978 / 2026

Label: Warner Classics

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Herbert von Karajan’s legendary recording of Strauss’s Salome stands as a benchmark of operatic achievement, renowned for its visionary casting and psychological depth. Karajan boldly selected a young, relatively unknown Hildegard Behrens for the title role, pairing her raw, visceral vulnerability with José van Dam’s majestic, steel-voiced Jochanaan. Supported by the Vienna Philharmonic, which delivers a performance of terrifying opulence and extraordinary detail, Karajan elevates the intricate score beyond simple sensationalism into a captivating, sensual thriller. The result is an enduring masterwork that brilliantly balances subtle dramatic intensity with sweeping orchestral brilliance, remaining a landmark interpretation in the catalog.

Herbert von Karajan was born in Salzburg on 5 April 1908. Initially a gifted pianist, he turned to conducting at the encouragement of Bernard Paumgartner and studied with Franz Schalk in Vienna. He began his professional career in 1929 at the Ulm Opera, later becoming music director in Aachen and joining the Berlin State Opera in 1938. After the war, he recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic under producer Walter Legge and led London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. In 1955 he succeeded Wilhelm Furtwängler as director of the Berlin Philharmonic and later directed the Vienna State Opera. Internationally renowned for his recordings and technological innovation, Karajan died in 1989.