Wednesday, January 21, 1998
Teen angst
OPERA L.A. Opera revives "Salome," Strauss’ dark tale of a
princess who will stop at nothing to get what she wants
By John Mangum
Daily Bruin Contributor
Meet Salome, the adolescent from hell.
Only, she doesn’t want to sneak out in her parents’ car, stay
out past her curfew or ditch school. She wants her father to
decapitate John the Baptist so she can kiss the prophet’s severed
head.
Richard Strauss presents a captivating study of the teen’s
obsession in his 1905 opera "Salome." L.A. Opera revived their 1986
production of the work Thursday evening for soprano Hildegard
Behrens, a renowned interpreter of the title role.
The one-act work focuses on the teen-aged Salome and her
fascination with the prophet. Her stepfather, Herod, Tetrarch of
Judea, keeps John the Baptist locked in a cistern in the palace’s
courtyard, and Salome overhears the prophet’s pronouncements about
the coming of the Messiah.
A soldier tells the princess that the Tetrarch forbids anyone to
speak with the prophet, and naturally this sparks her interest. She
browbeats the captain of the guard into bringing the prophet into
the moonlight and focuses her obsession on his mouth, "like a
pomegranate cut with a knife of ivory."
The prophet rejects her, calling her the "daughter of Babylon,
daughter of Sodom." But Salome will not relent, and decides to
strip for her lascivious stepfather when he promises to give her
anything she wants. She wants the prophet’s head on a silver tray,
and she gets it.
The opera closes with an extended final scene in which Salome
fondles the severed head, kissing it, passionately declaring, over
and over, "Ah! I have kissed thy mouth." The scene was a triumph,
vocally and dramatically, for Behrens. Her voice alternately soared
triumphantly, piercing through the orchestra when the spoiled
princess got her prize, or assumed a chilling, harrowing sound,
revealing the depths of the teenager’s depravity.
Every aspect of her portrayal reflected Behrens’ years of
experience in the role. She first essayed the part at the 1977
Salzburg Festival, and a recording of that interpretation is still
available on EMI Classics.
Another veteran of the stage, mezzo-soprano Helga Dernesch,
appeared as Salome’s mother, Herodias. She brought a secure voice
and some great characterization to the role, cackling deliciously
whenever her husband whined about Salome’s behavior.
As Herod, tenor Timothy Mussard looked like a depraved Bacchus
in his magenta robes, characterizing Salome’s alternately lecherous
and anxious stepfather with a fitting hysteria. Mussard, who chairs
the vocal division of UCLA’s music department, sang with a ringing
tenor that easily projected over Strauss’ bloated orchestra.
Baritone Tom Fox made a physically and vocally convincing
prophet. His resonant baritone gave great weight to John the
Baptist’s prophecies, and his determined demeanor made the
prophet’s confrontation with Salome seem motivated less by anger
than by his disregard for matters of this world.
Several L.A. Opera regulars filled the numerous supporting
roles, and their convincing performances added to the overall
impact of the revival. Tenor Kurt Streit, who last appeared here in
Rossini’s "Italian Girl in Algiers," proved an especially
convincing Narraboth, the captain of the guard who commits suicide
after Salome teases, taunts and rejects him.
Peter Hall’s production, directed on this occasion by
Christopher Harlan, provided a decadent, oriental setting for the
action. The stage itself was simple, featuring the cistern, the
entrance to Herod’s palace and a large, brass lantern. Behind
these, a painted scrim provided a plain background for periodic
projections and lighting effects, including one that transformed
the stage into a scene of Klimtian art-deco dementia.
The L.A. Opera Orchestra conveyed the musical side of this
dementia, along with the richness of Strauss’ lush, perfumed score.
Under the baton of Grammy Award-winning conductor Richard Hickox,
the orchestra sounded well-prepared and played with virtuosity and
impact.
"Salome" shocked and scandalized audiences when it premiered 92
years ago. It still retains all of its elemental power when
performed and produced as convincingly as it was on this
occasion.
OPERA: L.A. Opera presents Richard Strauss’ "Salome" in four
more performances through Jan. 31. Tickets range from $24 to $135,
and $20 for students and senior rush tickets one hour before
performances. For more information, call (213) 972-8001.