Get to know Strauss's Salome

Audiences will be entranced by the dance of Richard Strauss’s Salome, opening at Lyric Opera of Chicago on January 25. One of the most daring and provocative works in the opera repertoire, Salome blends eroticism with chilling ferocity in a breathtaking tale of a woman consumed by obsession. Intrigue and tension pulse through this unforgettable work — Strauss’s great masterpiece, based on Oscar Wilde’s controversial play.

The work has not been performed at Lyric in two decades. First seen in 2008, Sir David McVicar’s riveting production sets the action in the harsh world of 1930s fascist Italy. Against the backdrop of looming war, the biblical story of John the Baptist is retold as a haunting tale of a teenage girl’s obsessive infatuation, leading to tragic consequences. This production powerfully explores how the chaos of war and authoritarian rule reduce people to mere objects of control.

Within the opulent palace of Herod Antipas, power, desire, and manipulation shape every interaction between royalty and religion. The alluring Salome becomes dangerously fixated on Jochanaan (John the Baptist), whose uncompromising religious beliefs stand in stark contrast to her world of decadence. As her reward for completing the “Dance of the Seven Veils” for her stepfather, she makes a deadly demand: Jochanaan’s head on a silver platter. The consequences are devastating — Jochanaan’s death sets off a tragic chain of events, culminating in Salome’s own untimely demise.

With lush, daring orchestration, Strauss mirrors Salome’s descent on stage. The opera’s fearless exploration of taboo subjects, from lust and desire to critiques of power and dominance, and its central portrayal of a commanding woman, made for a scandalous 1905 debut. From its inception, Salome’s infamous dance was cemented as one of the most iconic moments in all of opera. In McVicar’s production, this pivotal scene takes on new meaning as the audience gets a retrospective peek into the relationship between the young Salome and her stepfather, Herod.

Renowned Russian soprano Elena Stikhina makes her Lyric debut in the title role. Tenor Brandon Jovanovich, who most recently dazzled Lyric audiences in 2019/20’s The Queen of Spades, returns as Herod. Rising star and bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee makes his Lyric debut as Jochanaan. Internationally known mezzo-soprano Tanja Ariane Baumgartner, previously seen at Lyric in 2017/18’s production of Wagner’s Die Walküre, returns as Herodias. Tenor Ryan Capozzo, an alumnus of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, returns to Lyric’s stage as Narraboth. Julia Burbach makes her Lyric debut as the revival director of this Sir David McVicar production. In his Lyric debut, Czech conductor Tomáš Netopil will lead the cast, chorus, and orchestra.

After its U.S. debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1907, Salome was banned at the Met until 1934, an absence fueled in part by continuing controversy surrounding Oscar Wilde. In the decades since, audiences have come to appreciate Strauss’s bold soundworld, turning Salome into a widely performed masterpiece around the world. Be captivated by the inescapable obsession of Salome at Lyric Opera of Chicago, from January 25 to February 14.