Salome at Nationaltheater Mannheim

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2. Salome

Richard Strauss wrote the song "cry for music" relying on Oscar Wilde's drama “Salome” (1891), which does not focus on the biblical myth, but provides a psychological character study.

A decadent society is celebrating the birthday of the Tetrarch Herod. The guests are enjoying a frenzied orgy without conversations. People are not listening, not interested in what is said. The rulers of the court and the representatives of different faiths are disunited: they have different perspectives of the political assessment of the current king and they doubt him. The individual person within society remains alone and isolated with his fears. Someone kills himself, but no one notices the suicide.

Princess Salome, who is well sought-after by the men of society, is seeking a moment of calm during the noisy celebration. She detests her environment. Salome is disgusted by the decadent nature of her parents Herod and Herodias. Agitated by this defiant rejection, Salome dedicates her life to the unconditional search for stability in life.

The prophet Jokanaan, who was imprisoned by Herodes due to fear of his political influence, fascinates the princess. She is seeking an encounter with him. The princess is impressed by Jokanaan’s unconditional virtuosity. The prophet symbolizes a counter-position, as he strongly criticizes the manners and moral decline of the entire court. He represents to her a consistent position which she has never before experienced . Salome's sensuality is unleashed by the inaccessible nature of the Prophet. She is longing for a life beyond decadent frivolity. The desire to touch him becomes Salome's obsession: a kiss, whether from the living or the dead prophet...

But is this why Princess Salome is a genuine femme fatale, as she is considered to be through the centuries? Not at all. Salome is not a murderous vamp as she is described by many. Salome wants to escape from her environment; she looks for meaning in her life. The prophet represents to her hope for another life - a possible future. Jokanaan is certainly among the fanatical believers of the new faith. Compassion and forgiving grace, preached by Jesus of Nazareth, are not represented in his extreme attitude of faith.

In the search for a purpose in life, the Princess and the Prophet are sister and brother in mind. However, this claim is not to be realized within the existing social system. Her absolute demand for the head of the prophet symbolizes her hopes to merge with her victim to find love even if only through death…

The exaggerated atmosphere and sophisticated musical language during the first performance of Salome at the Dresden Court Opera in 1905 caused a shock effect. The mastery of the textual artwork, its nervous fibrillation and breathless brevity of the language inspired the composer to create an exciting one-act play. Its score is full of tone stimuli and expressive harmonies that express the intoxicatingly and eccentric devotion of Princess Salome to the prophet Jochanaan.