RICHARD STRAUSS SALOME Rehearsal Room Vida Miknevičiūtė (Salome) PRESENTING VICTORIAN OPERA PRESENTS PARTNER SALOME OPERA in ONE ACT
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RICHARD STRAUSS SALOME Rehearsal Room Vida Miknevičiūtė (Salome) PRESENTING VICTORIAN OPERA PRESENTS PARTNER SALOME OPERA IN ONE ACT Composer Richard Strauss Librettist Hedwig Lachmann Based on Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé Conductor Richard Mills AM Director Cameron Menzies Set Designer Christina Smith Costume Designer Anna Cordingley Lighting Designer Gavan Swift Choreographer Elizabeth Hill-Cooper CAST Salome Vida Miknevičiūtė Herod Ian Storey Jochanaan Daniel Sumegi Herodias Liane Keegan Narraboth James Egglestone Page of Herodias Dimity Shepherd Jews Paul Biencourt, Daniel Todd, Soldiers Alex Pokryshevsky, Timothy Reynolds, Carlos E. Bárcenas, Jerzy Kozlowski Raphael Wong Cappadocian Kiran Rajasingam Nazarenes Simon Meadows, Slave Kathryn Radcliffe Douglas Kelly with Orchestra Victoria Concertmaster Yi Wang 22, 25, 27 FEBRUARY 2020 Palais Theatre Original premiere 9 December 1905, Semperoper Dresden Duration 90 minutes, no interval Sung in German with English surtitles PRODUCTION PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager Eduard Inglés Stage Manager Whitney McNamara Deputy Stage Manager Marina Milankovic Assistant Stage Manager Geetanjali Mishra MUSIC STAFF Repetiteurs Phoebe Briggs, Phillipa Safey ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Surtitles courtesy of Opera Australia ResolutionX, BAACLight Theatre, Lilydale Theatre Company © Anna Cordingley, Costume Designer P. 4 VICTORIAN OPERA 2020 SALOME ORCHESTRA CONCERTMASTER Sarah Cuming HORN Yi Wang * Philippa Gardner Section Principal Jasen Moulton VIOLIN Tania Hardy-Smith Chair supported by Mr Robert Albert Principal 1st Violin Andrea Taylor AO RFD RD and Mrs Elizabeth Albert Yi Wang DOUBLE BASS Principal Third Principal 2nd Violin Linda Hewett § Monica Naselow Section Principal Stuart Riley § Sydney Braunfeld § Associate Principal 1st Violin Chair supported by Don and Angela Roman Ponomariov ++ Tomomi Brennan § Mercer Sharon Hatton + Associate Principal 1st Violin Associate Principal Robert Shirley + Erica Kennedy Kylie Davies + Associate Principal Matthew Thorne TRUMPET Jenny Khafagi + Stephen Reeves + Section Principal Mark Fitzpatrick Rebecca Adler Nic Synot + Chair supported by Mr Andrew Fairley AM Associate Principal Timothy Francis Binny Baik FLUTE Section Principal Anthony Pope Alyssa Conrau Lisa-Maree Amos TROMBONE Rachel Gamer Chair supported by Peter Griffin AM Section Principal Matthew Hassall and Terry Swann Scott Evans Rachael Hunt Associate Principal Karen Schofield § Associate Principal Philip Nixon Principal Piccolo Kieran Conrau + John Noble Rebecca Johnson + Principal Bass Trombone Chris Ruiter Dominique Chaseling + Ben Anderson Lucy Warren OBOE TUBA Tony Zhai Section Principal Karina Filipi ++ Natasha Conrau + Martin Lee + TIMPANI Karla Hanna + Associate Principal Joshua de Graaf Section Principal Lynette Rayner + Guy du Blêt Principal Cor Anglais Chair supported by Igor and Jenny VIOLA Dafydd Camp Zambelli with Libby and Jim Cousins AO Section Principal Chair supported by Ms Linda Herd Paul McMillan PERCUSSION CLARINET Associate Principal Section Principal Gaëlle Bayet + Section Principal Mathew Levy Paul Champion Jason Bunn Associate Principal Associate Principal Scott Weatherson + Nadine Delbridge Justin Beere Robert Clarke +++ Molly Collier O’Boyle + Chair supported by Susan and Leith Peter Neville + Beth Hemming + Campbell James Townsend + Josh Stilwell + Robin Henry ++ HARP Cora Teeuwen + Alexander McCracken + Section Principal BASSOON CELLO Section Principal Alannah Guthrie-Jones + Section Principal Lucinda Cran Melissa Chominsky CELESTE Chair supported by Lady Southey AC Principal Contrabassoon Timothy Murray Phillipa Safey ≠ Associate Principal * Acting § On Leave + Guest Musician Diane Froomes Matthew Angus + ++ Guest Associate Principal +++ Guest Associate Principal ≠ Courtesy of Victorian Opera VICTORIAN OPERA 2020 SALOME P. 5 WELCOME Since its premiere in 1905, this But it is the transfiguring power of the opera has fascinated musicians and music which makes the piece operatic entertained and startled the public. It on multiple levels, and the vocal remains an extraordinary work, even to demands Strauss places on his singers the audiences of our time: its harmonic are extraordinary. The consequent complexity and dazzling orchestration heightened reality explores the limits of retain their power to astonish. It still human behaviours, the ‘farthest north sounds contemporary in 2020, 115 of humanness’ to use a phrase of Percy years after its first performances. Grainger. The virtuosic technique of Strauss is Opera after Salome could never be the always at the service of the drama and same. Schoenberg and Berg were in storytelling. It is never an end in itself, the audience for the Austrian premiere but inseparable from the theatrical in Graz in 1906, and the influence of inspiration and dramatic purpose of the Salome is palpable in both Wozzeck text: a German translation by Hedwig (1924) and Lulu (1935). Lachmann of Oscar Wilde’s play, Victorian Opera is proud to welcome originally written in French. our extraordinary cast and celebrate The subject matter is itself scandalous the company debuts of Vida Miknevičiūtė and outrageous and shocking in its and Ian Storey. Welcome to what brutality. It remains an exhilarating promises to be an extraordinary night theatrical experience – a potent at the opera. illustration of the power of theatre of cruelty to cleanse by ‘pity and terror’. RICHARD MILLS Artistic Director and Conductor P. 6 VICTORIAN OPERA 2020 SALOME DIRECTOR’S NOTE We find ourselves in a very recognisable in this opera are continually silenced location. However, we find this location and dismissed and when they dare to in a way that we have never seen stand tall and hold their ground they before. The world we have created become a threat to the powers that be for our production of Salome is one and therefore become too dangerous of decay and destruction, a place to have around. once full of beauty, of culture, of Our production has tried to humanity, a place provoking thought simultaneously look forward and and freethinking. These values are backwards; to its origins in the biblical gone now. A world full of sin waiting story and to the opera’s original text, for its Messiah, Saviour or Cure. We the Oscar Wilde play of the same name, are in a world where the order of rule and forward to the ongoing relevance has been imposed by a foreign land, its to these themes moving into the 21st indigenous tribes have been displaced, century. I feel that this piece serves as and the crown that sits on the an allegory or a warning to the world ruler’s head is full of disease and rot. as to what can happen when we as the Corruption, greed, lust, obsession and human race turn away from humanity, manipulation are the way of the world. compassion and empathy. The world of Herod is one of ultimate Creating Salome has been a career power. The painted appearance of the highlight and to create it with this ruling class comes from its desire to particular company, creative team and deceive people and appear something cast has been a complete honor. I thank that they are not. The employment everyone for trusting me to bring this of theatre and makeup is used by the masterpiece by Strauss, Lachmann and rulers to distract and divert people Wilde to life. from the real issues of the day. It is when Salome removes this veil, she CAMERON MENZIES instantly becomes more potent as a Director real woman without the need for this artifice her powers ignite and only then is she is able to hold Herod to his word and make him accountable. It is her strength and unwavering will that bring Herod to his knees and eventually this piece to its end. Salome and the women VICTORIAN OPERA 2020 SALOME P. 7 SYNOPSIS On the terrace of Herod’s great palace, and wine, but she refuses it. Herodias soldiers talk and guard the imprisoned berates him for paying so much Jochanaan. Their captain, Narraboth, attention to her daughter. They are watches Salome intently. Herodias’ interrupted by the voice of Jochanaan, Page tries to warn him of the danger who resumes his tirades. Herodias of his infatuation, but he ignores her. demands that Herod hand the prisoner Jochanaan’s voice is heard from the over to the Jews, but Herod refuses, cistern, proclaiming the coming of a leading to a theological debate between great Messiah. the Jews and Nazarenes. Salome enters, escaping the banquet Herod turns his attention back to and the lingering gaze of her stepfather, Salome and asks her to dance for him. Herod. The Page again warns of After rejecting his first two requests, danger. Jochanaan speaks and Salome she finally agrees when he swears an recognises him as the one who oath to give her anything she desires. denounced her mother for marrying her Salome dances seductively for him. husband’s brother. Refusing to return to In a state of excitement Herod asks her the banquet, Salome requests to speak what she desires. To his horror, Salome directly to Jochanaan. Narraboth initially requests the head of Jochanaan on a denies her request but she seduces silver platter. Herod is shocked and tries Narraboth into opening the cistern. instead to offer her many treasures, As Jochanaan emerges he denounces but she insists on Jochanaan’s head. Herod and Herodias before turning Reluctantly, Herod gives in. Herodias, on Salome as the daughter of her pleased with her daughter’s request, sinful mother. Salome is spellbound by takes the Ring of Death from Herod’s Jochanaan and expresses her desire finger. This seals Jochanaan’s fate. for his body, then his hair and, finally, Salome impatiently awaits her prize. his mouth. In despair, Narraboth kills When the head is brought to her, himself. Jochanaan rejects Salome, Salome takes it in her hands and speaks telling her to seek salvation. She ignores passionately to it. Filled with lust, she him and her obsession with Jochanaan finally kisses the lips she so desired. intensifies. He curses her and returns to Herod, disgusted by what he is seeing, the cistern. orders his guards to kill Salome. Herod, in a maddened state, comes looking for Salome. He offers her food P.