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Salome
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February 2027  | ||||||
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Salome – Richard Strauss
Opera | Contemporary
Running time: 2 hours without intervals
Language: German
Surtitle: Hungarian, English, German
What happens when the worst traits of a power-hungry prince incapable of resisting earthly pleasures, a morally corrupt, vengeful, manipulative woman, and a desire-driven but highly impressionable teenage girl all erupt at the same time upon the appearance of a holy man? Someone loses their head… What happens when the drama of a conventionbreaking Irish author, who reworks a biblical subject in a fiercely erotic and blood-soaked way, is adapted for the opera stage by a German composer who, through his musical inventions, pushes the genre to its ultimate limits? Modern opera is born… Oscar Wilde’s play was banned for decades by British censorship, which is why Parisian audiences were the first to see it on stage in 1896. Although the work was well received, barely a decade later its success was overshadowed by the opera based on it, whose triumphal path began in exactly the opposite way. While at the 1905 Dresden premiere of Richard Strauss’s music drama, for example, the performer of the extraordinarily demanding title role refused to dance the Dance of the Seven Veils, and both the music and the subject as a whole shocked the audience, today Salome has become one of the cornerstones of the international operatic repertoire, returning again and again in ever new interpretations. The OPERA’s new production is staged by Máté Szabó in a contemporary approach, while at the same time featuring a reconstruction of Herod's palace discovered during the excavations conducted on Mount Machaerus by Hungarian archaeologist Dr. Győző Vörös.
Parental guidance: The performance is not recommended for children under 16 years of age.Due to disturbing themes and explicit sexual content, this performance is not recommended for children younger than 16.
Synopsis
A great terrace in the Palace of Herod, set above the banqueting hall. Some soldiers are leaning over the balcony. To the right there is a gigantic staircase, to the left, at the back, an old cistern surrounded by a wall of green bronze. The moon is shining very brightly.
Narraboth gazes from a terrace in Herod's palace into the banquet hall at the beautiful Princess Salome; he is in love with her, and apotheosizes her, much to the disgusted fearfulness of the Page of Herodias. The voice of the Prophet Jochanaan is heard from his prison in the palace cistern; Herod fears him and has ordered that no one should contact him, including Jerusalem's High Priest.
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 smile at him.
Jochanaan emerges from the cistern and shouts prophecies regarding Herod and Herodias that no one understands, except Salome when the Prophet refers to her mother. Upon seeing Jochanaan, Salome is filled with an overwhelming desire for him, praising his white skin and asking to touch it, but he rejects her. She then praises his black hair, again asking to touch it, but is rejected once more. She finally begs for a kiss from Jochanaan's lips, 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 Jairus' daughter 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, peacocks, and the sacred veil of the Temple. Salome remains firm in her demand for Jochanaan's head, forcing Herod to accede to her demands. After a desperate monologue by Salome, an executioner emerges from the well and delivers the severed head as she requested.
Salome now declares her love for the severed head, caressing it and kissing the prophet's dead lips passionately. Horrified, Herod orders his soldiers, "Kill that woman!" They rush forward and crush Salome under their shields.
Program and cast
Conductor: Martin Rajna
Herod: Gerhard Siegel, Tibor Szappanos
Herodias: Szilvia Rálik
Salome: Nicole Chevalier, Polina Pasztircsák
Jochanaan: Károly Szemerédy
Narraboth: Gergely Boncsér
The page of Herodias: Anna Csenge Fürjes
1st Jew: István Horváth
2nd Jew: Artúr Szeleczki
3rd Jew: Attila Erdős
4th Jew: Péter Balczó
5th Jew: Bence Pataki
1st Nazarene: András Palerdi
2nd Nazarene: Gergely Ujvári
1st soldier: Boldizsár Zajkás
2nd soldier: András Kiss
A Cappadocian: Máté Fülep
A slave: N. N.
Featuring the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
Director: Máté Szabó
Set design incorporating sets of Győző Vörös and Tamás Dobrosi by Márton Ágh
Costume designer: Ildi Tihanyi
Lighting designer: Csaba Szilárdi
Consultant: Enikő Perczel
Hungarian translation by Zsolt Horpácsy
English translation by Arthur Roger Crane
Composer: Richard Strauss
Libretto based on Hedwig Lachmann's German translation of Oscar Wilde's play, adapted by Richard Strauss
Hungarian State Opera
STANDING ROOM TICKETS - INFORMATION IN CASE OF A FULL HOUSE!
If all the seats are sold out for the selected time, but you still want to see the production on that day, 84 of the extremely affordable standing seats will be sold at the theatre, 2 hours before the start of the performance, with which you can visit the gallery on the 3rd floor. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office of the Budapest Opera House. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the stage can only be seen to a limited extent from the standing places and the side seats, but at the same time, following the performance is also supported by television broadcasting on the spot.
The Opera House is not only one of the most significant art relic of Budapest, but the symbol of the Hungarian operatic tradition of more than three hundred years as well. The long-awaited moment in Hungarian opera life arrived on September 27, 1884, when, in the presence of Franz Joseph I. the Opera House was opened amid great pomp and ceremony. The event, however, erupted into a small scandal - the curious crowd broke into the entrance hall and overran the security guards in order to catch a glimpse of the splendid Palace on Sugar út. Designed by Mikós Ybl, a major figure of 19th century Hungarian architecture, the construction lived up to the highest expectations. Ornamentation included paintings and sculptures by leading figures of Hungarian art of the time: Károly Lotz, Bertalan Székely, Mór Than and Alajos Stróbl. The great bronze chandelier from Mainz and the stage machinery moda by the Asphaleia company of Vienna were both considered as cutting-edge technology at that time.
Many important artists were guests here including Gustav Mahler, the composer who was director in Budapest from 1887 to 1891. He founded the international prestige of the institution, performing Wagner operas as well as Magcagni’ Cavalleria Rusticana. The Hungarian State Opera has always maintained high professional standards, inviting international stars like Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Monserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, José Cura, Thomas Hampson and Juan Diego Flórez to perform on its stage. The Hungarian cast include outstanding and renowed artists like Éva Marton, Ilona Tokody, Andrea Rost, Dénes Gulyás, Attila Fekete and Gábor Bretz.
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