Why was Richard Strauss opera Salome so shocking?

Why was Richard Strauss opera Salome so shocking?

By Barney Zwartz. Few operas have so scandalised audiences so delighted to be shocked as much as Salome, Richard Strauss’ provocative combination of religion and eroticism. Its premiere in Dresden in 1905 had 38 curtain calls, and within a year it had been performed in 50 opera houses and banned in many countries.

What is jokanaan accusing Herodias of?

She’s guilty of adultery and incest, after all: those are pretty big no-nos. In the end, though, it’s not just Jokanaan’s insults that matter, it’s Herodias’ reaction to them.

Who ordered the closing of Strauss opera Salome after only one performance?

Heinrich Conried
Heinrich Conried, general manager of the opera company that managed the Real Estate Company’s flagship property, was requested to cancel the three remaining performances of Salome.

What is the historical significance of the work Salome?

What is Salome known for? Salome is known in the Christian Gospels for her role in the execution of John the Baptist. When Herod Antipas offered to fulfill a request after she danced for him, Herodias, Salome’s mother, urged her to ask for the head of John the Baptist, who had opposed Herodias’s marriage to Herod.

What happens at the end of Salome?

Herodias has gotten Jokanaan killed. So, all their wishes have been fulfilled. Sure, Salomé gets her smooch, but she also gets killed. Herod gets his dance, but he ends up killing the object of his desire as a result—not to mention that he has to kill Jokanaan, a man he respects and fears.

Who played the first Salome?

actress Gertrud Eysoldt
Salome was played by the great actress Gertrud Eysoldt, whose striking performance was immortalized in Lovis Corinth’s well-known painting. Strauss shortened the Wilde–Lachmann text by about one third, eliminating some subsidiary episodes and reducing the floridity of the imagery.

Did John the Baptist have a son?

In Luke and Acts The Gospel of Luke adds an account of John’s infancy, introducing him as the miraculous son of Zechariah, an old priest, and his wife Elizabeth, who was past menopause and therefore unable to have children.

Why was Salome written?

The play became popular in Germany, and Wilde’s text was taken by the composer Richard Strauss as the basis of his 1905 opera Salome, the international success of which has tended to overshadow Wilde’s original play. Film and other adaptations have been made of the play….Salome (play)

Salome
Original language French
Genre Tragedy

Did Salome love John the Baptist?

Imprisoned in a cistern in Herod’s palace for preaching against the Jewish king’s second marriage to Salome’s mother Herodias, the Baptist pays the ultimate price for spurning Salome’s advances. But she still loves him, even in death. It’s too much when she kisses it; Herod has her killed too.

Where does Salome take place?

the palace of Herod
Salomé takes place in the palace of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Judæa. But even though it’s a palace, Wilde’s description of the set is pretty simple. The action occurs on a “great terrace” in the palace, which looks over the banqueting hall.

How many scenes are there in Salome?

C major forms a sharp dissonance with Salome’s key, just as his religiosity and her sexuality cannot be reconciled. Strauss also uses keys on a macro level, characterizing each of the four scenes with a key construct.

Why was Salome written in French?

The play became popular in Germany, and Wilde’s text was taken by the composer Richard Strauss as the basis of his 1905 opera Salome, the international success of which has tended to overshadow Wilde’s original play….Salome (play)

Salome
Original language French
Genre Tragedy

What is the name of the daughter of Herodias?

In his Jewish Antiquities, Josephus mentions marriages and children of the daughter of Herodias named Salome. According to the Gospel of Mark, Herodias bore a grudge against John for stating that Herod’s marriage to her was unlawful.

Was Salome a witness to the crucifixion?

Herodias’s daughter is arguably not Salome the disciple, who is a witness to the Crucifixion of Jesus in Mark 15:40.

What is Salome Redux by Clementine von Radic?

Clementine von Radic’s 2015 poem entitled “Salome Redux” tells the tale of Salome performing the “Dance of the Seven Veils” before King Herod. Salome is portrayed as a young intoxicating woman who, in exchange for performing this dance, asks for the execution of John the Baptist.

What was the first husband of Salome called?

According to William Smith’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities: Herod, son of Herod the Great and Mariamne, first husband of Herodias: Herod Philip I), a.k.a. Herod II Philip, tetrarch of (Ituraea and) Trachonitis, son of Herod (the Great), first husband of Salome: Philip the Tetrarch, a.k.a. Herod Philip II

author

Back to Top