I Parterriani stayed away from last week’s post, Fibich’s spectacular The Bride of Messina, like Democrats from the last mid-term elections, garnering less than 50 “listens” in a week. So I guess you have spoken: “Bring us insane divas in operas we already know!”

Accordingly, I give you a completely over-the-top Salome with Mara Zampieri as Strauss’ darling little Lolita, Leonie Rysanek interpolating her trademark Sieglinde scream as her doting mommy, and Horst Hiestermann determined to chew as much scenery as possible as daddy.

I had originally planned to do a history lesson, as it’s been a while since I posted anything from (cough, cough) before our time, and had lined up a live 1947 Salome with Maria Cebotari, but decided that this red meat performance will likely get more attention.

Please let me have your thoughts: do you want me to scale back on posting rare and recently-rediscovered operas and concentrate on the basic repertoire? I have programmed the rest of 2015 with works by composers from the 17th through 21st centuries, but as we look to the New Year, I’d like to know what—and who—you want to hear in 2016. So please tell me!

Incidentally, the most-listened-to upload to date is Simon Keenlyside’s Winterreise (nearing 1,000 “listens”), and the opera with the most “listens” is Pelléas et Mélisande, also avec Keenlyside.

Richard Strauss: Salome

Wiener Staatsoper
Peter Schneider, conductor
16 September 1991

Salome – Mara Zampieri
Herodes – Horst Hiestermann
Herodias – Leonie Rysanek
Jochanaan – Monte Pederson
Narraboth – Richard Brunner
Page – Margareta Hintermeier
Erster Jude – Ernst-Dieter Suttheimer
Zweiter Jude – Peter Jelosits
Dritter Jude – Anton Wendler
Vierter Jude – Helmut Wildhaber
Fünfter Jude – Rudolf Mazzola
Erster Nazarener – Peter Wimberger
Zweiter Nazarener – Claudio Otelli
Erster Soldat – Alfred Sramek
Zweiter Soldat – Roland Schubert
Cappadocier – Peter Köves
Sklave – Adolf Tomaschek