Maria Ewing’s Best Recordings
Debussy Pelléas and Mélisande
Vienna Philharmonic / Claudio Abbado
DG 435 3442
There is a certain grain in Maria Ewing’s portrayal of Mélisande in this performance, with the character having a new meaning thanks to Ewing’s interpretation and nuance. She sings the role alongside François Le Roux in the role of Pelléas, whose interpretation is thoughtful and refined.
by Strauss Salome
Royal Opera House Orchestra / Edward Downes
Opus Arte OAR3108D
Directed by Ewing’s husband Peter Hall, it was this production of Salome who first launched the American soprano onto the British stage. She gave one of the most notorious performances of Strauss’s infamous “Dance of the Seven Veils”, performing it nude. Hall’s staging showed Ewing in his most elegant and glamorous form.
This film is available to watch on Medici TV.
that of Mozart Requiem
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Leonard Bernstein
DG 00044007341353
Here performing the role of mezzo-soprano alongside soprano Marie Mclaughlin, Ewing superbly balances his tone in this traditional reading of that of Mozart Requiem.
This is also available in DVD format, in a TV special produced by Humphrey Burton.
that of Shostakovich Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
London Philharmonic Orchestra & Ambrosian Opera Chorus / Mstislav Rostropovich
Warner Classic 9668382
Maria Ewing stars as Katerina in this historic recording with Galina Vishnevskaya in the title role. Ewing’s acting abilities are fully on display here in this extremely expressive performance.
