SALOME (OPERA)

'''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.

Contents

Roles

Orchestration

Synopsis

The role of Salome

See also

External links

Roles

		Premiere, December 9, 1905 (Ernst von Schuch)
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)''

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).

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. The terrified and superstitious Herod then orders his soldiers to kill Salome.

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.
As for the title role's required vocal-range, it is an extraordinary case:
The highest note is the high B, not irregular for a soprano or mezzo-soprano to sing - while the lowest note is a low G-flat, in the alto-range and officially below the standard range for a mezzo-soprano.
Considering this range, which is similar to many mezzo roles such as Carmen and Amneris, one might assume that a high soprano is not essential to the piece, but it is; most of the relatively low sopranos who attempted this role found themselves straining their voices throughout the opera, and having reached the closing scene (the most important part of the opera, regarding the title role) were very fatigued.
This role is the classic example of the difference between tessitura and absolute range:
While mezzos can perform a high note (like Carmen), or even temporarily sustain a high tessitura, it is impossible for a singer to spend such a long time (with the needed strength and breath-control) in the second octave above the middle C unless she is a high soprano.
Moreover, the low G-flat occurs twice in the opera, and in both cases it is in pp, more of a theatrical effect than music and can be growled instead of sung.
The other low notes required are no lower than low A-natural, and they are also quiet.
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.

See also

★ Succès de scandale

External links

★ ''Salomé in Low Land'' A ten minute animated version in videogame style starring Birgit Nilsson (a modern pixel opera)