Premiere SALOME Drama in one act by Libretto by Richard Strauss based on Oscar Wilde Sung in German with German and English surtitles

Conductor: Joana Mallwitz Director: Barrie Kosky Set and Costume Designer: Katrin Lea Tag Lighting Designer: Joachim Klein Dramaturge: Zsolt Horpácsy

Salome: Ambur Braid 3rd Jew: Jaeil Kim Jochanaan: Christopher Maltman 4th Jew: Jonathan Abernethy Herodes: AJ Glueckert 5th Jew: Alfred Reiter Herodias: Claudia Mahnke 1st Nazarene: Thomas Faulkner Narraboth: Gerard Schneider 2nd Nazarene / Cappadocian: Danylo Matviienko Herodias’ Page: Katharina Magiera 1st Soldier: Dietrich Volle 1st Jew: Theo Lebow 2nd Soldier: Pilgoo Kang 2nd Jew: Michael McCown Slave: Chiara Bäuml

Oper Frankfurt’s Extras; Frankfurt Opern- und Museumsorchester

With generous support from the DZ Bank AG and Frankfurt Patronatsverein – Sektion Oper

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) made his international breakthrough as an operatic composer with the World Premiere of Salome on December 9th 1905 at in Dresden. In this opera, with a shocking subject matter, he developed a sound language that was light years ahead of his contemporaries. Four years after the World Premiere of his third opera, Strauss enjoyed another success in Dresden when Elektra was performed for the first time. The composer’s libretto is based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of Oscar Wilde’s play Salome (1891). The last New Production of this one act work in Frankfurt opened in 1999, directed by Christof Nel.

King Herodes is holding the prophet Jochanaan prisoner, but his step-daughter Princess Salome, Herodias’ daughter, demands to see him. Infatuated with the Princess, captain Narraboth gives in to her request, despite his master’s express orders to allow no-one to see him. When Salome meets Jochanaan he spurns her, whereupon Narraboth, consumed by jealousy, kills himself. Her lecherous step-father demands that she, cursed by the prophet, dance for his guests. She refuses at first, but after he promises to fulfil her every wish she performes the „Dance of the Seven Veils“, demanding Jochanaan’s head in return. All attempts by the horrified Tetrach to change her mind fail. Salome kisses the mouth of the head on the silver platter and is slain at Herodes’ command.

The production is led by the German conductor Joana Mallwitz. She became General Music Director of the Staatstheater in Nürnberg in 2018/19 and was recently voted „Conductor of the Year“ by Opernwelt magazine in 2019 and received an Oper! Award as „Best Conductor“. She made her debut at in 2016/17 with Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande returning, most recently, for a New Production of Fauré’s Pénélope. Productions directed by Barrie Kosky, Intendant and Chief Director of the Komische Oper Berlin since 2012/13, have been seen all over the world: after opened in Frankfurt in 2016 it was hired out to the Covent Garden in London and Royal Opera in Copenhagen and is currently being performed in Frankfurt again. Recent productions have included Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor at the Opéra Bastille in Paris. The Canadian soprano Ambur Braid is making her debut in the title role. A Member of the Ensemble since 2018/19 she has thrilled audiences here with roles including the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte) and Elektra (Idomeneo). The much sought-after British baritone Christopher Maltman (Jochanaan) has been singing the title role in here this January / February. He is a regular guest at the Salzburg Festival and Metropolitan Opera in New York. Nearly all the other roles are being sung by Members of Frankfurt’s Ensemble and Opera Studio, including tenor AJ Glueckert (Herodes) and mezzo-soprano Claudia Mahnke (Herodias).

Premiere: Sunday March 1st 2020, at 18.00hrs in the Opera House

Further performances: March 5th, 8th, 13th, 20th, 26th, 29th (15.30hrs; with free child minding for children aged between 3 and 9), April 4th, 10th (18.00hrs), 13th (18.00hrs) 2020 Unless otherwise stated, all performances begin at 19.30hrs

Tickets cost: € 15 to € 165 (with a 12.5% pre-booking fee when not purchased direct from the theatre)

Tickets can be obtained from the usual outlets, by telephone +49 (0)69 – 212 49 49 4 or online www.oper-frankfurt.de.

We do hope you might be able to publish this event. For further information, ordering photographs and reserving press tickets please contact Holger Engelhardt (Leitung Pressereferat) on +49 (0)69 – 212 46 727. His fax number is +49 (0)69 – 212 37 164 or you can email him on [email protected]