Salome in the Staatsoper 11.02.2014

This evening we attended the first of our planned operas: Salome.

First, the Staatsoper. The opera house opened in 1869 with a performance of Mozart's "Don Juan". It gradually grew as a popular event to attend, reaching a high point under the direction of Gustav Mahler. During the second World War, a bombing run destroyed all but the Grand Staircase, Schwind Foyer, and main facade. The work of producing the now essentially Viennese pastime of opera passed to the Volksoper and Theater an der Wien, and the State Opera company functioned in this way for ten years. Then, in 1955, the reconstruction of the Staatsoper was completed and the opera re-opened with Beethoven's "Fidelio". It is currently under the direction of Viennese native Franz-Welser-Moest.

Now, the story of Salome: We lay the scene in Judea, a.d. 30. King Herod is holding a party, which his daughter Salome is attending. Outside, the captain of the guard, Narraboth, keeps watch over the night, and over Salome. He fancies her, and when she comes outside to escape her father they begin to talk. Suddenly, the voice of John the Baptist (Jochanaan) rings forth from the cistern where he is being held prisoner. Salome wishes to speak with him, but the guards will not bring him out. She then seduces Narraboth into bringing Jochanaan out. When she sees Jochanaan, she is taken with desires to touch and kiss him. He, however, rejects her and concerns himself only with spreading word of the imminent Messiah. Seeing that Salome wants only Jochanaan, Narraboth commits suicide. Jochanaan returns to his cell, rejecting all of Salome's advances.

King Herod then comes out for some fresh air. When he sees the blood of Narraboth, he begins to hallucinate, eventually fixating on his daughter. As her pursues her, his wife Herodias demands that Jochanaan be turned over to the Jewish leaders, so that he may be taken away, Salome will quit pining, and Herod will come to his senses. Herod fears the prophecies that Jochanaan speaks and refuses his wife's suggestion.

Then Herod demands that Salome dance for him. She agrees on condition that he must give her anything that she wants. He swears an oath to do so, and she dances her erotic and exotic "Dance of the Seven Veils". As payment she demands the head of Jochanaan on a silver platter. Herod begs and pleads with her, but she will not budge. Herod finally acquiesces, and Jochanaan's head is brought to Salome. She can finally fulfill her uncontrollable carnal desires, and after having a near-manic episode of conversing with the head, she kisses it in victory. Herod, disgusted with this grotesque display, orders Salome to be killed on the spot as the curtain falls.

Strauss has managed to mingle three different aesthetics into one work. The first is the classical, setting his story in remote biblical times and telling an obviously moral story. However, here is where we see the influence of the times. Sigmund Freud and psychologists of the time had been developing a school of thought on human sexuality and the power of carnal desire. The basic and animalistic desires of carnal satisfaction are said to be rooted deep in human nature, and people cannot help but be controlled by them. Salome is an obvious demonstration of this, being so taken by her desires that nothing will suffice except that she kiss Jochanaan, dead or alive. When she does, she speaks over the bitter taste on his lips, be it blood or perhaps love itself. Everything comes back to sensual context. The third world is the late-romantic development in music. The opera is in one act and is completely thru-composed. This is highly unusual of any opera at any time. There are no 'numbers', or arias, with breaks in between of dialogue or recitative. The sonic experience is continuous throughout. In addition, Strauss calls for a very expanded orchestra, doubling all wind instruments, extending the brass section greatly, and employing many uncommon auxiliary instruments such as the heckelphone (a member of the oboe family). Finally, Strauss makes use of recurring motives to symbolize people, situations, or feelings; in other words: the predecessors of Wagner's Leitmotifs.

Andris Nelsons whipped the Vienna Philharmonic into fine shape for this production, and the singers did a good job with the monumental task of non-stop singing for 2 hours. The staging was very traditional and understated, which is unfortunate because there is a lot of potential for creative modern interpretation in this work. However, the music was delivered very well, and a good evening was had by all.