Salome | stepdaughter of Herod Antipas | Britannica.com stepdaughter of Herod Antipas John Hyrcanus I Salome, (flourished 1st century ad), according to the Jewish historian Josephus, the daughter of Herodias and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas , tetrarch (ruler appointed by Rome) of Galilee , a region in Palestine. In Biblical literature she is remembered as the immediate agent in the execution of John the Baptist . Josephus states that she was twice married, first to the tetrarch Philip (a half brother of her father, Herod , and a son of Herod I the Great) and then to Aristobulus (son of Herod of Chalcis). She is not to be confused with Salome, sister of Herod I the Great.

Salome presenting the head of John the Baptist to her mother, Herodias, bronze relief panel by … MM According to the Gospels of Mark (6:14–29) and Matthew (14:1–12), Herod Antipas had imprisoned John the Baptist for condemning his marriage to Herodias, the divorced wife of his half brother Herod Philip (the marriage violated Mosaic Law), but Herod was afraid to have the popular prophet killed. Nevertheless, when Salome danced before Herod and his guests at a festival, he promised to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, Herodias, who was infuriated by John’s condemnation of her marriage, the girl demanded the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and the unwilling Herod was forced by his oath to have John beheaded. Salome took the platter with John’s head and gave it to her mother. This story proved popular in Christian art from an early period and became especially popular during the Renaissance, exemplified by the work of the painter Masolino da Panicale . Salome has also been strikingly portrayed by the 19th-century artists Gustave Moreau and Aubrey Beardsley .

Oscar Wilde’s one-act play Salomé (published in 1893, first performed in 1896) was translated by Hedwig Lachmann as the libretto for Richard Strauss’s one-act opera of the same name (first produced in 1905), in which Herod is portrayed as lusting after Salome, while Salome, in her turn, desires John the Baptist; she finally satisfies her corrupt wishes by kissing the lips of the severed head of John, who had spurned her. Hence, Salome has become an erotic symbol in art, and it is likely that it is her provocative “Dance of the Seven Veils” in the Strauss opera that most people connect with her name, although no such dance is mentioned in the Bible. Learn More in these related articles: Salome and John the Baptist SALOME and JOHN THE BAPTIST Anonymous (Investigator 149, 2013 March) SUMMARY Did Salome dance naked for her uncle to get the head of John the Baptist cut off?

Modern opera, theatre and movies often depict Salome as an erotic seductress caught up with others in a clash of motives ranging from lust, hate and obsession to politics and religion. The biblical story summarized is this: Religious preacher John the Baptist condemned the marriage of Herod Antipas (ruler of Galilee) and Herodias because Herodias was the former wife of Antipas' half brother Philip. Antipas imprisoned John but Herodias wanted John dead and seized the opportunity when Salome — her daughter with Philip — danced at Antipas' birthday. Antipas promised to give his niece whatever she requested. At her mother's instigation Salome requested John's head on a platter. Is it history or myth? BIBLE CHARACTERS Herod the Great 74BC – 4BC (or 1BC — Steinmann 2009): King of Palestine (who had the boy babies of Bethlehem slaughtered after Jesus' birth). He married ten wives and had 14 children including Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas 22BC - 40AD: Tetrarch (ruler) of Galilee and a son of Herod the Great.

Antipas divorced his first wife in order to marry Herodias the former wife of his half-brother Philip. Antipas is the Herod who interrogated Jesus on the morning of the crucifixion. (Luke 23:6-12) Archelaus died 16AD: Another son of Herod the Great, mentioned in the Bible only in Matthew 2:22, who succeeded Herod as ruler of Judea. Herodias (granddaughter of Herod the Great): Herodias married her half-uncle Philip but divorced him to marry Antipas. John the Baptist c.3BC - c.32AD: A prophet who baptized Jesus and declared Antipas' marriage to Herodias a sin. Salome: The daughter of Philip and Herodias, hence niece and stepdaughter of Antipas. PAINTINGS; OPERA; MOVIES There are hundreds of paintings depicting Salome.

The more-famous ones include: 1515 Tiziano Vercelli (1488-1576) 1887 Georges Rochegrosse (1859-1938) 1918 Fedrico Beltran Masses (1885-1949) The painting of the last-named has Salome completely nude and caused a scandal when exhibited in London in 1929. In a production at Sydney Opera House in 2012 Salome is infatuated with religious fanatic John who rejects her and tells her she's doomed. Salome's obsession turns to hate and she extracts a promise from Antipas to give her whatever she asks if she'll dance for him. After John is beheaded Salome talks to and sings to the severed head. A 19th century opera titled Herodiade (1884) by Jules Massenet (1842-1912) also had Salome in love with John (and wanting to die with him). The Sydney opera interpretation follows the 1892 play by Oscar Wilde which was banned in London because of its display of sexual perversity.

Paris allowed it on stage in 1896 and it finally premiered in London in 1931. Wilde's play inspired the opera Salome by Richard Strauss which emphasized Antipas' lust for Salome and premiered in Germany in 1905. Strauss' opera featured Salome's "Dance of the Seven Veils" which got the opera banned in Austria until 1918. Maud Allen (1873-1956) performed the Dance of the Seven Veils in Vienna in "Vision of Salome" in 1906 and in England in 1908 and faced obscenity charges. A ballet titled The Tragedy of Salome premiered in 1907 and subsequent ballets in 1948 and 1978. Movies and actresses depicting Salome include: Salome Jessica Chastain (1977- ) THE BIBLE Salome is unnamed in the Bible but 1st century historian Josephus lists many Herod-family members and names "Salome" as the daughter of Herodias.

Herod Antipas is called "Herod" and "Herod the Tetrarch" in the Gospels. Here is the biblical narrative from the Good News Bible: 14 Now King Herod heard about all this, because Jesus' reputation had spread everywhere. Some people were saying, "John the Baptist has come back to life! That is why he has this power to perform miracles!" 15 Others, however, said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago." 16 When Herod heard it, he said, "He is John the Baptist! I had his head cut off, but he has come back to life!" 17 Herod himself had ordered John's arrest, and he had him chained and put in prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, whom he had married, even though she was the wife of his brother Philip. 18 John the Baptist kept telling Herod, "It isn't right for you to be married to your brother's wife!" 19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because of Herod.

20 Herod was afraid of John because he knew that John was a good and holy man, and so he kept him safe. He liked to listen to him, even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him. 21 Finally Herodias got her chance. It was on Herod's birthday, when he gave a feast for all the chief government officials, the military commanders, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodias came in and danced, pleased Herod and his guests. So the king said to the girl, "What would you like to have? I will give you anything you want." 23 With many vows he said to her, "I swear that I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half my kingdom!" 24 So the girl went out and asked her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered.

25 The girl hurried back at once to the king and demanded, "I want you to give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a dish!" 26 This made the king very sad, but he could not refuse her because of the vows he had made in front of his guests. 27 So he sent off a guard at once with orders to bring John's head. The guard left, went to the prison, and cut John's head off; 28 then brought it on a dish and gave it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. 29 When John's disciples heard about it, they came and took away his body, and buried it. (Mark 6; Matthew 14) In the common imagination Salome discarded seven veils, finally dancing naked. Most paintings of Salome depict her looking in her 20s or 30s. Movie actresses who played her ranged in age from 17 (Brigid Bazlen) to 44 or 45 (Alla Nazimova and Imogen Claire).

Mark 6:22 & 28 calls Salome a "girl" — Greek "korasion" which occurs 8 times in the New Testament. The King James Bible translates it "damsel" six times and "maid" twice. In the previous chapter (Mark 5:39-42) "korasion" is used of a 12-year-old girl whom Jesus raised after she apparently died and who is also called a "child" (Greek "paidion"). The other two mentions of "the girl" (Mark 6:24-25) in the Good News Bible are added and the Greek text actually says "She". Salome appears completely subservient to her mother, therefore unmarried. If Salome was, like the other "girl", only 12 then the opera and film interpretations of her as a seductress obsessed with John would be ludicrous. Her dance would not be a striptease to titillate lecherous drunkards but more likely a child's performance for dignitaries charmed by her innocence. Josephus doesn't give Salome's year of birth.

One estimate is 14 AD which would make her about 17 at Antipas' party. But whether she was 12 or 17 her uncle would have lost dignity to have his princess-niece do a strip-dance watched by "government officials, military commanders, and leading citizens". I suggest the operas and movies are wrong. What about John's head? Would a national ruler have a newly severed head publicly handed to his teenage niece? Gruesome, yes — but the head would likely have been covered, not openly displayed. DID IT HAPPEN?

Josephus, 1st century Jewish historian, writes: Herodias…was married to Herod, [Philip,] the son of Herod the Great, who was born of Mariamne, the daughter of Simon the high priest, who had a daughter, Salome; after whose birth Herodias took upon her to confound the laws of our country, and divorced herself from her husband while he was alive, and was married to Herod, [Antipas,] her husband's brother by the father's side, he was tetrarch of Galilee; but her daughter Salome was married to Philip, the son of Herod, and tetrarch of Trachonitis : and as he died childless, Aristobulos, the son of Herod, the brother of Agrippa, married her; they had three sons, Herod, Agrippa, and Aristobulus… (Antiquities: Book 18, Chapter 5, Paragraph 4) Other ancient writings as well as archaeology and coinage confirm the historicity of all the named persons and locations. Herod the Great authorized huge construction works of which ruins still remain, and even his tomb has been discovered.

His son Archelaus was also a builder, confirmed by archaeology. (Hizmi 2008) Antipas ruled Galilee from 4 BC until 39 AD. For a summary of Antipas' reign and associated archaeology see Jensen (2012). John the Baptist is historical too. Josephus identifies the location of his prison as Machaerus, a mountain-top palace-fortress on the east side of the Dead Sea. Josephus narrates that Antipas fell in love with Herodias when in Rome and she agreed to live in Galilee if Antipas divorced his current wife a daughter of the King of Arabia. A war with Arabia resulted and Antipas' army was destroyed near Machaerus.

(Antiquities Book 18, Chapter 5, Paragraph 1) In Paragraph 2 Josephus continues: Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body : supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness.

Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were very greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise,) thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it would be too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Machaerus was the most eastern of seven palace-fortresses. From its high elevation the other six fortresses, located west of the Dead Sea, could be signalled as could Jerusalem. Machaerus was lost to history after the Jewish-Roman wars and forgotten until 1807 when German explorer Ulrich Seetzen rediscovered it. Excavations of Machaerus were conducted in 1978-1981 and 1992-1993.

Vörös (2012) whose team resumed excavations in 2009 supplies a ground-plan and illustration of the palace, plus a photo of where Antipas' throne once stood and where Salome would have danced. The prison was probably located in the lower city, north east of the palace. A stairway connects the palace with the lower city and is probably the route taken to carry John's head from the prison to Salome. AFTERWARDS According to Josephus Salome later had a childless marriage with a half brother of Antipas named Philip — not Philip her father, but a different half-brother of same name. After her husband's death Salome married a cousin, Aristobulos, ruler of Chalcis in what is now Lebanon. Coins minted in 56-57 AD depict Salome on one side, Aristobulos on the other. She bore him three sons and died sometime near 70 AD. Antipas was banished by Emperor Claudius of Rome in 39 AD to Lyon (France) where Herodias accompanied him and he died the following year.

John the Baptist's story is now available in over 2000 languages as part of the Bible. Jesus interpreted John as the prophet "Elijah" (Matthew 11:14) foretold in the Old Testament in Malachi 4. CONCLUSION Archaeology and Josephus confirm the historicity of the Bible characters and locations but not that Salome danced. The phrase "When John's disciples heard about it…" (Mark 6:29) suggests an informer/observer inside the palace — possibly Chuza, Antipas' steward. (Luke 8:3). Josephus would have lacked this source and therefore limits his analysis to Antipas' political motives for John's execution. Operas, paintings and films often present lurid if entertaining nonsense, but the Bible when the evidence is discovered routinely turns out either plausible or confirmed. REFERENCES: Hizmi, H. Archelaus Builds Archelais, Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 2008, pp 48-59, 78 Jenson, M. H.

Antipas The Herod Jesus Knew, Biblical Archaeology Review, September/October 2012, pp 42-46 Steinmann, A. E. Novum Testamentum Volume 51, Number 1, 2009, pp 1-29 00000001/art00001 Vörös, G. Machaerus Where Salome Danced and John the Baptist was Beheaded, Biblical Archaeology Review, September/October 2012, pp 30-41 Whiston, W. (Translator) 1960 Josephus Complete Works, Kregel Publications, p. 382. SALOME and HEROD'S DEATH (Investigator 149, 2013 March) The year of death of Herod the Great comes up in my article about Salome (#149). The standard conclusion of historians of the past century is 4 BCE. Andrew Steinmann challenges 4 BCE in Novum Testamentum and argues for 1 BCE, claiming that historians have misunderstood certain paragraphs in Josephus and ignored others.

(Volume 51, Number 1, 2009, pp 1-29) 01/art00001 I too argued against 4 BCE (#81) because 2 BCE plausibly identifies the Star of Bethlehem, agrees with Luke 3:1-2, and fits with an astronomical calculation for the date of Christ's crucifixion (at age 33 in CE 33) by astronomer Duncan Steel. (#145, p. 33) Steinmann gives more detail on Josephus than I did and is worth reading. Anonymous Strauss' Salome Strauss' Salome OCTOBER 18, 2013 (7:30 PM) OCTOBER 20, 2013 (2 PM) Strauss' white-hot depiction of the story of King Herod's capture of John the Baptist and Salome's fascination with him caught the attention of the entire opera world when it premiered in 1905. Salome is a disturbed and overtly sensual woman whose shocking behavior is matched in potency only by the latent lechery of the king.

The setting is not a tranquil court, but rather a den of vipers where no man is safe from seduction and harm. The music makes great technical demands on the orchestra and vocalists. The story makes emotional demands on all who enter. Experience this thrilling opera in a unique setting as Utah Opera temporarily moves to Abravanel Hall during Capitol Theatre renovation. The semi-staged production will be filled with all the beautiful music and colorful costumes you expect from a night at the opera.

CAST Utah Opera Debut Recently: Tristan und Isolde, Wiener Staatsoper, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Salzburger Festpiele, Staatstheater Stuttgart; Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, Bayerische Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra de Nice; Tannhäuser, Metropolitan Opera, Semperoper Dresden, Teatro Real, La Monnaie, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin; Ariadne auf Naxos, Opéra national de Paris, Metropolitan Opera; Die Frau ohne Schatten, Teatro alla Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, Wiener Staatsoper; Samson et Dalila, Metropolitan Opera, Oper Zürich READ MORE ABOUT THE CAST SYNOPSIS Judea, A.D. 30. From the moonlit terrace of King Herod's palace, Narraboth, captain of the guard, gazes rapturously inside at the Princess Salome, who is feasting with her stepfather and his court.

The voice of the prophet Jochanaan echoes from a deep cistern, where he is imprisoned by the king, who fears him. Salome, bored with Herod's lechery and his coarse guests, rushes out for fresh air and becomes curious when she hears Jochanaan curse Herodias, her mother... READ MORE DIRECTOR'S NOTES Strauss’ SALOME is one of the most thrilling musical and theatrical experiences that opera has to offer. Based on Oscar Wilde’s provocative re-telling of the Biblical story, the opera features gorgeous music, rich characters and a potent story about sex, greed and morality... READ MORE KINGS HAVE BUT ONE NECK Everyone knows the historical refrain that claims the 20th century did not truly begin until the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in 1914. This was the event that ushered in the Great War and shuttered for good the Belle Epoque of the old European aristocracies... READ MORE ONLINE LEARNING COURSE Do you want to know a bit more about the operas we perform? For each opera, a music scholar puts together a guide that delves into the plot of the opera, the music, the life of the composer, and many other topics.

"The Metropolitan Opera HD Live" Richard Strauss: Salome (TV Episode 2008) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Oscar Wilde's scandalous play set to equally outrageous music by Richard Strauss. It caused riots when it opened but has become one of the most-often performed operas around the world. Director: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 584 titles created 2 months ago Title: Richard Strauss: Salome (11 Oct 2008) 6.5/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Add Image Add an image Do you have any images for this title?

Edit Storyline Bubbie's Seder was never like this: Herod's wife is already drunk, so he asks his step-daughter Salome for a lap-dance. She'd rather kiss John the Baptist on the mouth, but all he does is shout Bible verses at her, which is really annoying. One of Herod's guards is crazy in love with Salome and gets so jealous, he just up and kills himself right there. In the background, some Jewish scholars argue about the Talmud, but Herod insists on that lap-dance. Salome plays along if it means she can get that kiss, and before you can say "Dayenu" or "silver platter," she ruins Seder for everyone. The whole thing is just sick, sick, sick, and is set to some of the most thrilling, luscious music you ever heard. Written by dnitzer 11 October 2008 (USA) See more » Company Credits Mattila is superb in a good production of Salome.... 13 October 2011 | by TheLittleSongbird (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD series has always been like a pleasure to me.

While the odd production has been disappointing(ie. 2007/8's Hansel and Gretel or 2009's Tosca), the High Definition always looks fantastic and coming from someone who loves opera especially when presented well that's a joy to me. This production is good if somewhat uneven. So far my favourite Salome is the 1975 film, Stratas mayn't be the ideal Salome being a lyric soprano in alternative to a dramatic soprano but she does do a terrific job with the role, Dance of the Seven Veils even with the slow tempo is wonderfully erotic, Bohm's Strauss expertise comes through loud and clear and there are brilliant performances from Varnay and Weikl. The Caballe and Milnes recording is also excellent. I will say that I personally loved the look of the production. True, the settings are not exactly biblical, but the production are suitably sumptuous. And as you would expect the HD is wonderful, with clear picture quality and mostly clever video directing though some of close ups of Mattila are rather cruel.

I don't really have to say how good the music is, perhaps not as lush as Rosenkavalier or as brutal as Elektra, but I cannot deny that it is a powerful score, and no it is not only Dance of the Seven Veils, which is appropriately sensual here. When it comes to the orchestra and conducting, they aren't terrible as such, I just wasn't bowled over. The orchestral playing is solid though the trumpets could have a little more dynamic shading. The conducting has some much needed bombast, however in other scenes some subtlety and sensuality wouldn't have gone amiss. The sound is very good. As for the cast mostly they're fine. The chorus are good enough. Kim Begley vocally is rather wobbly as Herod and has a tendency to bark, however at least his acting is more than stand-and-deliver quality. Ildiko Kimlosi gives a very well characterised Herodias, that said she is rather shrill on her high notes.

The best of the support cast is the performance of Jochannan Juha Uusutalo, his voice mayn't be the most powerful of all the bass-baritones in the role but it does have presence and he is charismatic. But this production will always be worth watching for Karita Mattila. Vocally she is not perfect, it has power but has lost some of its beauty. However, as a very intelligent singer she really throws herself into the punishing role of Salome and the result is a hugely compelling performance throughout. She sings, she acts, she dances, all three of which she excels at. I'd also like to say this, while it is a little obvious in the scene where Salome is cradling and kissing Jochannan's chopped off head is rather doll-like really, because of the intelligent approach that Mattila brings and the impact of the music at this particular moment, it is actually rather shocking. All in all, a good Salome, Mattila is the best thing about it. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox 0 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes Richard Strauss: SALOME – The Open Music History Project April 14, 2013 Introduction On January 22, 1907, audiences at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City came back from intermission, having enjoyed a concert program for the first half of the evening, featuring singers such as Enrico Caruso, Geraldine Ferrar, and Antonio Scotti. A wide array of performing a opera excerpts were performed, including “La ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, “Belle nuit” from Offenbach’s Le Contes d’Hoffmann, and “O, paradiso!” from Meyerbeer’s L’Africane. The second half of the program featured a United States premiere of a new opera that had experienced a considerable amount of success in Europe – Richard Strauss’s Salome. The curtain rose to a set that looked like a courtyard of a palace, with high steps leading to a palace door on the left side of the stage, a cistern in the middle of the stage, and large cedar trees in the background. According to the reviews, by the time the curtain closed, the audience was in complete shock and horror.

A review in the New York Tribune described the audience reaction in this way: “…Many faces were white almost as those at the rail of a ship, many women were silent, and men spoke as if a bad dream were on them. The preceding concert was forgotten; ordinary emotions following an opera were banished. The grip of a strange horror or disgust was on the majority. It was as significant that the usual applause was lacking. It was scattered and brief….. its final horror left the listeners staring at each other with startling eyeballs and wrecked nerves.” [i] Louisa Morgan, daughter of investment tycoon John Pierpont Morgan, was one individual in the audience gripped by horror and disgust. She was so appalled by the work that she successfully got all further scheduled performances of the opera to be cancelled, and the opera was never performed at the Metropolitan Opera again until the year 1934. The North American premiere of Salome was not the first time it had caused a stir. The world premiere had been only two years earlier, in December of 1905 at the Hofoper in Dresden, Germany. Although German critics had called it an abomination, it was actually quite successful in box office sales.

Five months after its world premier, the opera had its Austrian premiere in Graz, and several very prominent people were in the audience, including Gustav Mahler and his wife Alma, Giacomo Puccini, Alexander Zemlinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and allegedly (though this fact is disputable,) a 17 year old Adolf Hitler. Everyone wanted to experience this scandalous work, with a score described as decadent and volatile, and a plot that the New York Tribune critic called “a moral stench in the nostrils of humanity.” [ii] Although Salome has been a controversial opera from the day it premiered, it has always been incredibly popular, consistently ranking high on statistics covering the most famous and most often performed operas worldwide; it is truly what would be called “success from scandal”. In addition to its popularity, Salome is considered to be one of the most important operas of the early 20th century, dramatically altering the direction of musical style and aesthetics of the time. Historical Context Salome premiered in 1905, which lands it squarely within the turn of the century time period – an era in art and culture known as the fin-de-siècle.

Before the turn of the 20th century, there were several extremely important movements and cultural figures that inform the fin-de-siècle landscape. The industrial revolution had reached maturity by the mid-1800s, forever changing the economy of the Western world by introducing a sustainable middle-class population and a more capitalist approach to industry. The latter half of the 1800s also began with the second industrial revolution, or the technological revolution, roughly spanning from the 1860s to 1914-1915. The technological revolution defines a period of unprecedented growth in scientific innovations and use of new technologies. This was the era where electricity, telegraphs, radios, motor power, and automobiles were becoming more and more a part of every day life. This time period is also when social change begins happening in the realm of women’s rights. And perhaps not so coincidentally, as women began to fight for more and more freedom within a patriarchic society, there was also an explosion of “scientific” theories targeting women as the weaker gender.

In 1859, the English scientist Charles Darwin published On the Origin of the Species, and by the early 1870’s, Darwin’s ideas of evolution had been widely accepted as scientific fact. Darwin’s theories provide the façade of scientific proof that the male gender was superior to the female gender, his theories also suggested that a species as a whole could become either more advanced or degenerate through the process of evolution – which led to the conclusion that women were the weaker gender through which some kind of degeneration was imminent. Toward the end of the 1800’s, several scientists began to pursue the study of sexuality more seriously, and the man most well known for research in this area was Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud. Freud published three influential bodies of writing between 1895 and 1905: Studies in Hysteria, On the Interpretation of Dreams, and Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. Throughout these three works, females were once again targeted as psychological unstable, and for Freud, this instability was directly tied to female sexuality.

In addition to Freud, Austrian Philosopher Otto Weininger published a book in 1903 titled Sex and Character, which was another volume of writing focused on issues of female sexuality. Based on the writing of Freud and Weininger, chaste and virginal women were associated with the upper class and evolutionary progress, and any kind of sexual freedom displayed by the female gender became associated with immaturity and insanity. All of these different cultural influences collided at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s into a fundamentally misogynist mindset, and women were viewed as fragile and inferior creatures that inflicted their seductive ways upon men. Emerging from this discourse, one trait that strongly marks fin-de-siecle culture is the obsession in artistic works with decadent portrayals of “dangerous” female sexuality. And one of the most popular femme fatale characters of this time was Salome, the biblical princess who danced before Herod. Her popularity turned into what scholars now call “Salomania”, or “The Salome Craze”. “The Salome Craze”: As a biblical character, there were many paintings of Salome long before the fin-de-siècle obsession with her.

For example, Andrea Solario’s Salome with the head of John the Baptist is a Renaissance era example of Salome depicted through the medium of painting, where the eye is either drawn to the beauty of Salome’s face or the gruesome decapitated head of John. In paintings of Salome in fin-de-siècle culture, the focus was shifted very strongly toward Salome’s body, often in an overtly orientalized manner. Circa 1870, Pierre Bonnaud and Henri Regnault’s produced some of the first highly sexualized paintings of her character, with Regnault’s Salomé becoming particularly popular. In 1877, the French writer Gustav Flaubert published a work called Three Tales, in which second tale included a lush and detailed description of Salome’s dance of the seven veils. Corresponding closely to the time of Flaubert’s publication, Gustav Moreau revealed a painting titled Salome Dancing before Herod, and then painted her again in 1876, in a work titled L’Apparition.

Moreau’s Salome paintings gained such popularity and success that French novelist Charles Huysmans published a work titled A Rebours (translated as Against Nature), in which the main character purchases a copy the two Moreau Salome paintings, and enthralled with the images before him, describes every aspect of her body in very specific detail. In the late 1880s, Jules Laforgue featured a seductive Salome as the main character in his poem titled Moralités legendaries. New paintings of Salome’s character by a variety of artists continued to proliferate throughout the 1880’s and 90’s , and 1893 marked the year Oscar Wilde’s play titled Salomé was first published in French, with an English translation of the play released less than a year later. Because of trouble with censors, the stage premiere of the Wilde’s original version did not take place until 1896 in Paris, and its popularity slowly built over time throughout Franc while translations of the play were instantly popular in Germany.

Piggybacking on its growing popularity, actress Maud Allen created a famous adaptation of the play called “Vision of Salomé”, staring herself in the title role and taking England by storm with over 250 performances of the work in less than a year. In 1905, after seeing a German translated performance of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé, Richard Strauss composed the one act opera Salome, and it is premiere in Dresden was quite a success. Following the opera premiere, the Salome craze continued into the first decade of the 20th century as painters continued to render new imaginings of her character, and the dance of the seven veils became a popular vaudeville routine all over Europe and North America. Suffice it to say, Strauss’s choice of Salome as the focus of a new opera did not happen in isolation; her character, her story, and highly sexualized depictions of her had already deeply permeated the landscape of the fin-de-siècle culture Strauss found himself in, and his choice to turn Wilde’s play into an opera was very much in line subject-wise with trends of the day.

Constructing the Story The plot of Strauss’s opera is based on the historical figure of Salome, whose existence is documented several times across different sources from antiquity. Her story is told twice in the bible, and details are given about her in Book 18 of Jewish Antiquities, an early encyclopedia-like documentation of Jewish history by Flavius Josephus, created circa 94 AD. She is also mentioned in letters exchanged between Herod and Pontius Pilot, which have survived in the Syriac Manuscripts, and archaeologists have identified her as the figure on several ancient coins from the time period. Across all of these historical records, the historical figure of Salome is most well known for dancing before Herod, and requesting the head of John the Baptist as a reward. Both biblical accounts of this story are fairly short, and give very little details to elaborate on the event.

The Opera Plot: The opera plot elaborates significantly on the biblical story, as does its source material, through a 90 minute, one act operatic framework that unfolds in the following manner: The opera opens with the slave Narraboth gazing at the moon, and telling us that the Princess Salome looks beautiful tonight, immediately focusing us on her physical beauty, before we even meet her. Narraboth describes his love for Salome, and a page chastises him for obsessing over her, because no good can come of it. Then, the voice of Jochanaan (John the Baptist) is heard coming from a cistern. As Salome is fleeing Herod’s feast, the voice of Jochanaan catches her attention. Salome realizes that Jochanaan is cursing her mother, Herodias, for marrying her husband’s brother. This piques Salome’s curiosity, and she persistently asks the guards to bring Jochanaan up out of the cistern, so she can see him and speak to him. The guards refuse, under strict orders from Herod that no one is to speak to him.

Salome then turns her attention to Narraboth, seductively asking him to fulfill her request. Narraboth gives in, and orders Jochanaan to be brought out. Jochanaan continues to shout curses about Herod and Herodias, but as soon as Salome sees him, she is filled with an overwhelming sense of desire. She asks to touch Jochanaan’s skin, and he refuses her. Then she asks to touch his hair, and he refuses her. Then she asks for him to kiss her, and he refuses her a third time. Seeing Salome so taken with Jochanaan, Narraboth is overcome with jealousy and kills himself. Having refused to even look at Salome, Jochanaan is returned to the cistern, and continues shouting his prophesies. Then Herod and Herodias appear, and Herod gazes lustfully at Salome. Herodias chastises Herod for looking at Salome so much, and Salome gives Herod the cold shoulder. She has no interest in Herod, as she is consumed with thoughts of Jochanaan.

After listening to a conversation among a group of Jewish men about the nature of God, Herod gets up and approaches Salome, singing “Tanz für mich, Salome” – “Dance for me, Salome.” Herodias objects, and Salome rejects him as well, as she is still focused on Jochanaan. Herod then promises to grant Salome whatever her heart desires, even half his kingdom, if she does as he asks. After swearing this in an oath to Salome in front of all his guests, Salome agrees to dance for him. This leads to the infamous dance of the seven veils – a purely orchestral section designed by Strauss to be the most seductive and alluring music ever written. When Salome finishes the dance and Herod asks what she wants as a reward, Salome demands the head of Jochanaan brought to her on a silver platter. Herod resists her requests, offering her peacocks, rare jewels, and even the veil from inside the temple. Salome refuses, and three times demands the head of Jochanaan. Herod is forced to grant her request, and when she receives the head, she declares her love for Jochanaan.

At the climax of an intense musical build up, Salome passionately kisses his decapitated head, and exclaims “Ich habe deinen Mund geküsst, Jochanaan!” – “I have kissed your lips, Jochanaan.” Terrified, Herod orders his soldiers to “Man töte dieses Weib!” – “kill that woman!” and the curtain falls as Salome is crushed to death by the soldier’s shields. Musical Analysis Orchestration: When Richard Strauss began composing Salome, he was emerging from a period of intense focus on orchestral writing. He had just finished creating several symphonic tone poems that made use of an expanded orchestra (such as Don Quixote and Also sprach Zarathustra),and he was in the middle of creating a modern edition of Hector Berlioz’s instrumentation treatise Grand traité d’instrumentation et d’orchestration modern. By the time Strauss began composing Salome, he was bringing with him a new kind of orchestral understanding and compositional style based on an expanded orchestra.

As a result, the score for Salome calls for over 100 players, including an expanded first and second violin section, a fifteen-piece brass section, and some new and non-traditional keyboards instruments, such as the celesta, harmonium, and organ. This orchestra was designed for maximum power, and singers must have powerful voices to be heard over top of them. As Strauss said to his orchestra during a rehearsal of Salome in Prague: “That is too gentle! We want wild beasts here! This is not civilized music; it is music that must crash!” Strauss was intentionally trying to create music that fit the violent, decadent themes of opera, and he was intentionally pushing the boundaries of musical volume and style. The Use of Leitmotif: Salome is considered a work a genius in its use of leitmotif, a musical concept that Strauss picked up from Wagner. In Salome, every character has their own leitmotif, in addition to several conceptual or thematic motifs. The main motif associated her Salome’s character is important to listen for as it returns continuously throughout the opera in various expanded and elaborated forms.

Isolated on its own, Salome’s leitmotif is as follows: Salome’s Motif Salome’s motive is one of the first things we hear as the curtain rises, following and opening scale in the clarinet. Another motif strongly associated with Salome is the obsession motif: Salome’s Obsession Motif Jochanaan’s motif has a strong tonal sound, contrasting the chromaticism of Salome’s motive. Jochanaans motive is strictly diatonic, capturing his stoic character: Jochanaan’s Motif Another important motif associated with Jochanaan is the prophecy motif, which can be heard as Jochanaan repeatedly curses Herod and Herodias: Prophesy Motif While there are many more motifs used throughout the opera, one more example of an important motif that can be easily identified is the kiss motif. As Salome becomes more and more determined to kiss Jochanaan, the kiss motif is brought to the forefront of the texture.

It can be heard most clearly whenever she sings “Ich will dein mund kussen, Jochanaan” – “I will kiss your lips Jochanaan”: The Kiss Motif Large Scale Tonal Connections: In addition to the embedded fabric of leitmotifs, another important musical element in Salome is the way in which specific harmonic changes and tonal structure within the opera mirror relationship dynamics and conflicts within the story. Generally speaking, the two main characters that are connected through tonal structure are our title character Salome, and the object of her desire: Jochanaan. Jochanaan is assigned the key of purity, C major. The first and last time we hear Jochanaan sing in the opera, his music is in a C major/minor realm. Although Salome wanders through a variety of keys throughout the opera, she tends to move through sharp keys that consistently bring her back to C# major/minor, a key that has historically been associated with an exotic “other”, mysticism, and sensuality. The harmonic relationship between C and C# is both interesting and odd, as these two musical keys – and the characters associated with them – are simultaneously fundamental opposites, as well as completions of one another.

They share no common tonal ground, and as a result, each character fills the tonal void that the other lacks. Since Salome is treated in this time period as a trope representing the dangerous sexuality of the female, she cannot exist in the same key signature as Jochanaan. In addition to this C / C# dichotomy, Strauss heightens the juxtaposition of purity versus sensuality by ensuring that all of Jochanaan’s music is very diatonic sounding, with austere melodic lines and cadences that resolve, while Salome’s music is chromatic and ornamental, rarely resolving or giving the sense of closure. A final note on Singing Salome The role of Salome is an incredibly difficult role to sing, as the soprano needs to have the power and range of a Wagnerian singer, coupled with the ability to display the emotional vulnerability of a teenage princess. Salome’s character is one of multiple duplicities, as she needs to be both fragile and empowered, being the fundamental opposite to Jochanaan, as well as inextricably linked to him.

A soprano technically capable of singing the role can only be found in a mature voice; yet, to be convincing, the singer must be able to portray a spoiled teenage girl going through a kind of sexual awakening. The soprano singing Salome must also grapple with the Dance of the Seven veils. Several sopranos throughout history have refused to perform the dance of the seven veils because of its perceived indecency, resulting in dance doubles being dropped in to replace them. [i] Henry Krehbiel, “”SALOME” DISGUSTS ITS HEARERS: Enormous Crowd Gives Little Applause to Singers at Conried Benefit.” New York Tribune , Jan. 23, 1906 Salome - Modernism Lab Essays Salome by Elizabeth Pugh Salome by Richard Strauss is an operatic retelling of the Biblical story of John the Baptist’s martyrdom, which focuses on the daughter of Herodias. Her strange fascination with John the Baptist ultimately leads to the demise of her and her father in this tragic opera. Strauss based his opera on the one-act play written by Oscar Wilde in 1884.

[1] Salome debuted in early December 1905 in Dresden, German. The score for the opera made modernist strides through the use of unique instruments and dissonance, and the story created controversy among music and theater critics. Summary of the Work Salome, the mystical daughter of Queen Herodias and step-daughter of King Herod, is entranced by John the Baptist, because of his prophesies that she hears echoing up through the floor as well as his dislike for her mother. Later, her fascination with him attaches to his appearance. Narraboth, the captain of the guard who is infatuated with Salome, orders that he be brought up to the great dismay of the Page and contrary to his orders after Salome pleads with him. [2] When he refuses to let her come near him, her obsession escalates, and she becomes determined to have him (69-114). She does not take notice when Narraboth kills himself, but instead continues in her pursuit of John the Baptist (102). John’s rejection and retreat into the cistern lead her to revenge.

Herod struggles with many different conflicts throughout the opera, as he fears and admires John, resents his wife and the constant bickering of the religious officials who surround him, and obsesses over his step-daughter. Salome, knowing these varying pressures, takes advantage of the situation. She twists the king’s fixation with her by using a dance (the “Dance of the Seven Veils”) to get what she wants: the head of John the Baptist on a platter, with which she can do whatever she desires without John’s protests (142-350). Terrified and scandalized by such behavior, King Herod orders her death (351). Biblical and Legendary Background In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the story of John’s death is written similarly, though the Gospel of Mark has more details as to the specific circumstances, such as how Herod felt about John (Matt 14:3-12; Mk 6: 17-29). Curiously enough, neither Gospel ever mentions the daughter of Herodias by name.

In early commentaries, both this character was called Herodias until she was given the name Salome by Isidor of Seville, due to the name's repeated occurrence in Herod’s family line. [3] Salome has also been known as Boyzia and Pharaildis in different legends as well. [4] The works of Strauss and Wilde are not alone in their interpretation of Salome’s strange attraction to John the Baptist. In one particular legend, Salome “vows not to belong to anyone but John, and her infuriated father has him decapitated." [5] This particular legend differs from the Biblical story in several key details, such as the fascination felt by Herod and the bitterness felt by his wife (Herodias) toward John the Baptist. Strauss’ Musical Strides in the Opera Described as “thunder,” “noise,” and “orchestral cacophony,” Strauss’ music in Salome managed to shock the audience, which had never before heard this type of music on stage or perhaps even in their lives.

[6] Quite complex, the arrangement includes forty-nine instrument and voice parts weaving with each other to create a score that changed the scene of opera, compared to much smaller numbers of parts within its predecessors. [7] The dissonance, bitonality, and even effects created by the orchestra all help to create the feelings expressed in the opera. from terror to infatuation. [8] For example, the mystical quality of the music matches that quality of John the Baptist as he emerges from the cistern. These concepts like bitonality would have been unheard of in an opera before Salome, indicating that Strauss turned towards modernity by leaving the older models of opera behind in favor of trying something new. Strauss even brought in strange instruments that were rarely used in operatic or orchestral works before, such as the heckelphone and even kettledrums. The use of these instruments shows a departure in Strauss’ mind from the traditional concept of what an orchestra should be, and consequently another modernist leaning.

It also shocked with its dance scene, the “Dance of the Seven Veils," which brought in oriental elements in a dramatic shift from the traditional, as well as from the other parts of the opera (202-241). One critic railed that the opera “rattled and banged until the emotions are worn out; it no longer wants anything but explosions, and the dynamics of these has no effect but that of dynamite." [9] Analysis Throughout the opera, there are some interesting sections that could use further investigation by the viewer. One example of this is Salome’s obsession with John the Baptist. After he initially rejects her, she begins to admire just parts of him, showing an objectification of John as she sings to his mouth, his skin, etc (69-114). In light of this objectification, his beheading can be more clearly understood. She could not have all of John while he was living, so she wanted him dead.

She has, as Paul Banks writes, “no interest in him as a prophet." [10] His beheading furthers this theme of objectification: even in his martyrdom, she only has a part of John the Baptist with which to do her bidding. Another interesting idea that both Strauss and Wilde bring forth is that Salome acts in John’s death of her own will and pleasure. This reading diverges from the Biblical interpretation, in which she acted more as her mother’s pawn or in revenge for things John said about her mother. Strauss's portrayal, deemed one of “demonic feminine sexuality” by Banks, placed Salome in a femme fatale position. The men who are involved with her (Narraboth, John, and Herod) all meet tragedy in one way or another. She herself meets her demise after her obsession escalates to a point beyond what the society of her time deems appropriate and Herod orders her death. Repeatedly, this theme of obsession comes forward, and each time it leads to the character’s destruction. For instance, the character of Narraboth is infatuated with Salome, and even allows the guards to bring up John the Baptist at her request (against his own orders).

Yet as she grows more obsessed with John, Narraboth’s warnings and pleadings to her go unheeded. He kills himself in despair of her lack of attention to him and the danger she is in. Controversy and Backlash Even before this opera was staged, it was controversial. The original play by Wilde did not make it to opening night in England because “a license for its production was refused by the Lord Chamberlain’s office." [11] The cast of the opera also had some scruples due to the material, especially their roles within it. The actress playing Salome in the production reportedly cried “That I won’t do; I am a respectable woman”! [12] Because of the controversial nature of the subject matter with Biblical characters, such as suicide and necrophilia as well as the sexual nature of the material, like the obsession of Herod with his step-daughter and a femme fatale in the character of Salome, the opera was widely denounced by clergy and those of conservative values. [13] This opera clearly contrasted with the cultural and traditional ideals of Strauss’ time. The cast’s trouble with the material shows how provocative these portrayals are.

The opera raises crucial questions involved in the taboo topics of obsession, revenge, necrophilia, incest, and suicide, questions that society cannot ignore. It also shows a dissent for religious authority, as can be seen through the ever-bickering religious figures, repudiating that traditional value of following dogma and doctrine. [14] The opera premiered just as Biblical criticism was emerging, which was not embraced in its early stages by church authority (in the broadest sense), but instead was seen as modernist encroachment upon faith. Because of this, any questioning of Biblical characters (their motives, their stories, etc.) by the modernist movement especially would have been seen as a particular danger, which explains the protests and denunciations. Conclusion Through its innovative use of themes, music, and reinterpretation, Strauss’ Salome managed to shock audiences with its modernist way of departing from and questioning the traditional cultural values of its day. Refusing to be still, it rouses the audience to think about how they see the world through music and taboo issues to this day. ↑ Ernest Newman, "Salome," in Great Operas, vol. 1. 1943 (New York: Vintage, 1959), p.

372. ↑ Richard Strauss, Salome [1905] (Berlin: Adolph Fürstner, 1916), 5, 37-48. All subsequent parenthetical citations refer to this edition. ↑ Herbert Haag et al., "Herodias and Salome," in Great Women of the Bible in Art and Literature, ed. Emil Bührer, trans. Joe H Kirchberger (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1994), p. 256. ↑ Ibid. ↑ Ibid. ↑ Petra Dierkes-Thrun, "'The Brutal Music and the Delicate Text'? The Aesthetic Relationship between Wilde's and Strauss's Salome Reconsidered," Modern Language Quarterly 69.3 (2008), p. 376. ↑ Ibid., p. 376. ↑ Ibid., p. 377. ↑ Dierkes-Thrun, p. 378. ↑ Paul Banks, “Richard Strauss and the Unveiling of Salome," in Salome/ Elektra, ed. Nicholas John (New York: Riverrun, 1988), p.

19. ↑ Newman, p. 372. "The Metropolitan Opera HD Live" Richard Strauss: Salome (TV Episode 2008) - Plot Summary - IMDb Plot Summary Showing all 2 plot summaries Bubbie's Seder was never like this: Herod's wife is already drunk, so he asks his step-daughter Salome for a lap-dance. She'd rather kiss John the Baptist on the mouth, but all he does is shout Bible verses at her, which is really annoying. One of Herod's guards is crazy in love with Salome and gets so jealous, he just up and kills himself right there. In the background, some Jewish scholars argue about the Talmud, but Herod insists on that lap-dance. Salome plays along if it means she can get that kiss, and before you can say "Dayenu" or "silver platter," she ruins Seder for everyone. The whole thing is just sick, sick, sick, and is set to some of the most thrilling, luscious music you ever heard.

Question: 'Herod', 'John the Baptist' and 'Nawabath' are characters in which opera by Richard Strauss?
Answer: 'SALOME'