Salome

About

The heart of the Judean princess Salome burns with passion for the prophet Johanan (John the Baptist) of the new faith. When King Herod asks Salome to dance for him, her demanded payment is cruel – the princess wants the prophet's head... The mysterious events tell of an insatiable love that is stronger than rational considerations. In his new production, director Alvis Hermanis transfers the story that takes place in Judea to the future Israel, where the knot of ideologies and religions is most closely intertwined. Oscar Wilde's French-written drama Salome was translated into German and became the libretto for Richard Strauss' masterpiece, which premiered on December 9, 1905 at the Dresden Royal Opera House. The Latvian National Opera has so far experienced four vivid productions of Salome , in which the title roles have been interpreted by the outstanding singers Milda Brehmane-Štengele, Germaine Heine-Wagner, Solveig Raja and Ieva Kepe.