With the disturbing story of the lust-murdering "Salome," Richard Strauss (1864-1949) achieved his breakthrough as an opera composer in 1905. Based on Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name, Strauss created a one-act musical drama full of avant-garde features with partially suspended tonality, leitmotif technique and an orchestra of over 100 musicians.
It is about the beautiful princess Salome, who lives in the palace of her perfidious stepfather Herod. Herod would like to see the young Salome take her place at his side instead of his wife and Salome’s mother, Herodias. Salome, however, evades him and becomes aware of the prophet Jochanaan, who is imprisoned in the court dungeon. In order to be able to speak with him, Salome unceremoniously seduces the captain on guard. But Jochanaan does not return Salome’s fascination. On the contrary, he repudiates her, preferring his dungeon to her presence while proclaiming further prophecies that alarm Herod. To distract her, Herod demands that Salome perform an erotic veil dance. Only when Herod promises Salome everything she desires does she agree. When Salome demands Jochanaan’s head on a silver platter after the dance, Herod is dismayed, but he sees himself bound by his promise. Deeply horrified when Salome thereupon lustfully commits suicide on Jochanaan’s corpse, he orders his soldiers in disgust to kill Salome.