The première of Salome in 1905 must have been an overwhelming affair: for this drama, Richard Strauss wrote ecstatic music that broke with everything hitherto known. The eponymous play by Oscar Wilde on which Strauss based his opera was considered indecent and had been banned by the censors in England for years. It is about the biblical Princess Salome, who demands the head of the prophet Jochanaan from King Herodes in reward for her erotic dancing. Salome kisses the bleeding head before the shocked Herodes has her killed. In his score, Strauss focuses entirely on the conflict between Salome and Jochanaan, capturing the psychology of the protagonists in a series of monumental, musically sensual and ecstatic climaxes.

In this revival, we will once again encounter the soprano Catherine Naglestad, who most recently celebrated successes in Zurich as Tosca, and previously as Minnie in La fanciulla del West. She will now be singing Salome, one of her most splendid roles, for the first time at our theatre. Thomas Johannes Mayer, whose Wagner performances have recently caused a sensation, will début as Jochanaan. The charismatic Doris Soffel – who sang the Countess in Zurich’s production of Pique Dame – will be taking on the role of Herodias. General Music and Artistic Director of Leipzig Opera Ulf Schirmer will be conducting for the first time at Zurich Opera House.