Salome (opera)
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| Operas by Richard Strauss |
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Guntram (1894) |
Salome is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by the composer, based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. It was first performed at the Hofoper in Dresden on December 9, 1905.
The opera is famous (at the time of its release, infamous) for its Dance of the Seven Veils. Salome is performed frequently and there are various recordings of it.
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[edit] Roles
| Premiere, December 9, 1905 (Ernst von Schuch) |
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| Herod, Tetrarch of Judaea | tenor | Carl Burrian |
| Herodias, his wife | mezzo-soprano | Irene von Chavanne |
| Salome, his step-daughter | soprano | Marie Wittich |
| Jochanaan, (John the Baptist) | baritone | Karl Perron |
| Narraboth, Captain of the Guard | tenor | |
| The Page of Herodias | alto | |
| Five Jews | four tenors, one bass | |
| Two Nazarenes | bass, tenor | |
| Two Soldiers | basses | |
| A Cappadocian | bass | |
| A slave | soprano/tenor | |
| Royal guests (Egyptians and Romans), and entourage, servants, soldiers (all silent) | ||
[edit] Orchestration
Strauss scored Salome for a large orchestra (even larger than Wagner's, but was very specific about how many instruments should play each part. In the strings there are 16 first and 16 second violins, 10-12 violas, 10 violoncellos and 8 double basses. The woodwinds include 3 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 oboes, 1 cor anglais, 1 Heckelphone, 1 Eb clarinet, 2 Bb clarinets, 2 A clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 3 bassoons and a contrabassoon. The brass section contains 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 Trombones, and 1 Tuba. The exceptionally large percussion section (requiring 8-9 players) contains 4 large kettledrums, a small kettledrum, a triangle, a pair of cymbals, a side drum, a tamtam, a bass drum, a tambourine, a xylophone, castanets and a carillon or glockenspiel. The orchestra is completed with 2 harps, a celesta, a harmonium and organ (the last two offstage).
[edit] Synopsis
- Time: A moonlit night in the First century AD.
- Place: A great terrace in Herod's palace at Tiberias on Lake Galilee, Judea.
Narraboth gazes from the terrace into the banquet hall at the beautiful Princess Salome. The voice of the prophet Jochanaan is heard from his prison in the palace cistern; Herod fears him.
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 do some things for him.
When she see Jochanaan, Salome is filled with an overwhelming desire to touch him, but he rejects her. She begs for a kiss, 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 Lazarus 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, rare birds, and the sacred veil of the Temple. Salome remains firm in her demand for Jochanaan's head, forcing Herod to concede to her demands. After an orchestral interlude, the head of the prophet is brought up out of the well and presented to Salome as she requested.
In one of the most voluptuously gorgeous musical love scenes ever written, Salome makes love to the severed head, finally kissing the prophet's lips passionately. On his orders, the terrified and superstitious Herod orders his soldiers to kill Salome.
[edit] The role of Salome
The vocal demands are the same as those of an Isolde or Brünnhilde, with the impossible demand that she should look and behave like a sixteen-year-old prima ballerina. Ljuba Welitsch, Birgit Nilsson, Montserrat Caballé, Anja Silja, Phyllis Curtin, Karan Armstrong, Teresa Stratas (on film), Dame Gwyneth Jones, Marisa Galvany, Catherine Malfitano, Karita Mattila, and most recently, Deborah Voigt are among the most memorable of the last half-century.
At the end of the Dance of the Seven Veils, some sopranos (or their stand-ins) wear a body stocking under the veils. However, in some performances, Malfitano, Mattila, and Maria Ewing have opted not to wear one.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Salomé in Low Land A ten minute animated version in videogame style starring Birgit Nilsson (a modern pixel opera)
