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© Semperoper Dresden/Forster
Salome
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Salome - Richard Strauss
Operatic drama in one act
Libretto by Richard Strauss after Oscar Wilde’s tale of the same name
Performed in German with German and English supertitles
Premiere: September 24, 2016
First performed in Dresden in 1905, Richard Strauss’s masterpiece explores the dark recesses of the human soul.
Storyline
»How beautiful is princess Salome tonight!« – Narraboth is hopelessly in love with Salome, the step-daughter of the tetrarch Herod who is celebrating a raucous party next door. Repelled by the carousing of her lecherous stepfather, she retreats and listens enchanted to the voice of the captured prophet Jochanaan who declares the arrival of the Messiah. She requests to see him. Against the tetrarch’s express wish, Narraboth fulfils her request. Jochanaan curses the dissolute moral conduct of Salome’s mother, Herodias, and challenges her to change her life. She falls in love with him at first sight. In his despair, Narraboth kills himself. Salome wishes to kiss Jochanaan’s lips yet he rejects her advances and curses her.
Jochanaan’s words cause an argument, first between Herod and Herodias who wants to see the prophet dead, and then between the Jews and Nazarenes who cannot agree whether his announcement that the Messiah will appear is true. Herod believes that he is a dangerous, holy man and his words that the Messiah may awaken the dead trigger a panic-stricken fear in him. To distract himself, he asks Salome whom he desires, to dance for him. As a reward, he promises, under oath, to fulfil all her wishes. After the dance, Salome demands the head of Jochanaan. Nothing can change her mind and Herod must give in. Salome receives the head of Jochanaan and kisses his mouth before Herod orders to have her killed.
Program and cast
Herodes: Gerhard Siegel
Herodias: Evelyn Herlitzius
Salome: Amanda Majeski
Jochanaan: Markus Marquardt
Narraboth: Mario Lerchenberger
A Page of Herodias: Ekaterina Chayka-Rubinstein
First Jew: Aaron Pegram
Second Jew: Timothy Oliver
Third Jew: Simeon Esper
Fourth Jew: Gerald Hupach
Fifth Jew: Padraic Rowan
First Nazarene: Neven Crnić
Second Nazarene: Jongwoo Hong
First Soldier: Andrew Harris
Second Soldier: Peter Lobert
A Cappadocian: Gerrit Illenberger
A Slave: Rosalia Cid
Conductor: Juraj Valčuha
Director: Michael Schulz
Set Design: Dirk Becker
Costumes: Renée Listerdal
Lighting: Fabio Antoci
Video: Philipp Contag-Lada
Choreography: Koko La Douce
Dramaturgy: Anna Melcher
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
Photo gallery
© Semperoper Dresden/Forster
© Semperoper Dresden/Forster
© Semperoper Dresden/Forster
Semperoper Dresden
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper ballet. The building is located near the Elbe River in the historic centre of Dresden, Germany.
The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841. After a devastating fire in 1869, the opera house was rebuilt, partly again by Semper, and completed in 1878. The opera house has a long history of premieres, including major works by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.
The first opera house at the location of today's Semperoper was built by the architect Gottfried Semper. It opened on 13 April 1841 with an opera by Carl Maria von Weber. The building style itself is debated among many, as it has features that appear in three styles; Early Renaissance and Baroque, with Corinthian style pillars typical of Greek classical revival. Perhaps the most suitable label for this style would be eclecticism, where influences from many styles are used, a practice most common during this period. Nevertheless, the opera building, Semper's first, is regarded as one of the most beautiful European opera houses.
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