SALOME (Richard Strauss) Vienna 1974 Karl Böhm, Teresa Stratas, Astrid Varnay, Bernd Weikl
In this video
SALOME by Richard Strauss
Studio, Vienna Austria
1974
CAST
Teresa Stratas – Salomé
Hans Beirer – Herod
Astrid Varnay – Herodias
Bernd Weikl – Jokanaan
Wieslaw Ochman – Narraboth
Hanna Schwarz – Page
Reinhold Möser, Wolfgang Probst – Soldiers
Heinz Klaus Ecker, Norbert Heidgen – Nazarenes
Nkolaus Hillebrand – Cappadocian
Jews- Friedrich Lenz, Ewald Aichberger, Kurt Equiluz
Jews- Karl Terkal, Alois Pernerstorfer
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Conductor: Karl Böhm
Wiener Philharmoniker
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Stage Director: Götz Friedrich
Stage Designer: Gerd Staub
Costume Designer: Jan Skalicky
Choreographer: Robert Cohan
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Salome, Op. 54, is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss. The libretto is Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the 1891 French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde, edited by the composer. Strauss dedicated the opera to his friend Sir Edgar Speyer.
The opera is famous (at the time of its premiere, infamous) for its “Dance of the Seven Veils”. The final scene is frequently heard as a concert-piece for dramatic sopranos.
Composition history
Oscar Wilde originally wrote his Salomé in French. Strauss saw the Lachmann version of the play in Max Reinhardt’s production at the Kleines Theater in Berlin on 15 November 1902, and immediately set to work on an opera. The play’s formal structure was well-suited to musical adaptation. Wilde himself described Salomé as containing “refrains whose recurring motifs make it so like a piece of music and bind it together as a ballad”. Strauss pared down Lachmann’s German text to what he saw as its essentials, and in the process reduced it by nearly half, which included removing some of Wilde’s recurring motifs.
Strauss composed the opera to a German libretto, and that is the version that has become widely known. In 1907, Strauss made an alternate version in French, working with the musicologist Romain Rolland with the objective of retaining as much of the Wilde original as possible, a procedure which also required alterations to the musical score.This French version was used by Mary Garden, the world’s most famous proponent of the role, when she sang the opera in New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Paris, and other cities. Marjorie Lawrence sang the role both in French (for Paris) and in German (for the Metropolitan Opera, New York) in the 1930s. The French version is much less well known today, although it was revived in Lyon in 1990, and recorded by Kent Nagano with Karen Huffstodt in the title role and José van Dam as Jochanaan. In 2011, the French version was staged by Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège, starring June Anderson.
Synopsis
A great terrace in the Palace of Herod, set above the banqueting hall. Some soldiers are leaning over the balcony. To the right there is a gigantic staircase, to the left, at the back, an old cistern surrounded by a wall of green bronze. The moon is shining very brightly.
Narraboth gazes from a terrace in Herod’s palace into the banquet hall at the beautiful Princess Salome; he is in love with her, and apotheosizes her, much to the disgusted fearfulness of the Page of Herodias. The voice of the Prophet Jochanaan is heard from his prison in the palace cistern; Herod fears him and has ordered that no one should contact him, including Jerusalem’s High Priest.
Tired of the feast and its guests, Salome flees to the terrace. When she hears Jochanaan cursing her mother (Herodias), Salome’s curiosity is piqued. The palace guards will not honor her petulant orders to fetch Jochanaan for her, so she teasingly works on Narraboth to bring Jochanaan before her. Despite the orders he has received from Herod, Narraboth finally gives in after she promises to smile at him.
Jochanaan emerges from the cistern and shouts prophecies regarding Herod and Herodias that no one understands, except Salome when the Prophet refers to her mother. Upon seeing Jochanaan, Salome is filled with an overwhelming desire for him, praising his white skin and asking to touch it, but he rejects her. She then praises his black hair, again asking to touch it, but is rejected once more. She finally begs for a kiss from Jochanaan’s lips, and Narraboth, who cannot bear to hear this, kills himself. As Jochanaan is returned to the well, he preaches salvation through the Messiah.
Herod enters, followed by his wife and court. He slips in Narraboth’s blood and starts hallucinating. He hears the beating of wings. Despite Herodias’ objections, Herod stares lustfully at Salome, who rejects him. Jochanaan harasses Herodias from the well, calling her incestuous marriage to Herod sinful. She demands that Herod silence him. Herod refuses, and she mocks his fear. Five Jews argue concerning the nature of God. Two Nazarenes tell of Christ’s miracles; at one point they bring up the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead, which Herod finds frightening.
Herod asks for Salome to eat with him, drink with him; indolently, she twice refuses, saying she is not hungry or thirsty. Herod then begs Salome to dance for him, Tanz für mich, Salome, though her mother objects. He promises to reward her with her heart’s desire—even if it were one half of his kingdom.
After Salome inquires into his promise, and he swears to honor it, she prepares for the “Dance of the Seven Veils”. This dance, very oriental in orchestration, has her slowly removing her seven veils, until she lies naked at his feet. Salome then demands the head of the prophet on a silver platter. Her mother cackles in pleasure. Herod tries to dissuade her with offers of jewels, peacocks, and the sacred veil of the Temple. Salome remains firm in her demand for Jochanaan’s head, forcing Herod to accede to her demands. After a desperate monologue by Salome, an executioner emerges from the well and delivers the severed head as she requested.
Salome now declares her love for the severed head, caressing it and kissing the prophet’s dead lips passionately. Horrified, Herod orders his soldiers, “Kill that woman!” They rush forward and crush Salome under their shields.
Quoted from Wikipedia