A psychoanalytic view of Richard Strauss’ Salome is currently being presented at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. The Damiano Michieletto production was first shown in 2021 during the second Covid lock down: at that time, it played in an empty house and reached a wider audience through telecast only. On February 14th the production finally premiered in front of a large audience that filled the theater.

Set designer Paolo Fantin created a background area that could be closed by a moving panel in which the director staged Salome’s recollection of her childhood, showing her stepfather Herodes molesting her child double. In this vein, the Dance of the Seven Veils was replaced by a group harassment with six doubles of Herodes, seven (as the veils) if one counts the Tetrarch, pushing Salome across the stage. A white gown stained with blood is lifted from above leaving her in a black undergarment (the costumes were designed by Carla Teti).

In the center of the stage, Jochanaan’s dungeon, covered with soil, is also Salome’s father tomb, and will become the prophet’s tomb. When Herodes finally agrees to have Jochanaan beheaded, his head, finally as white as ivory, rises above the stage in a golden halo, reproducing Gustave Moreau’s famous painting The Apparition. Salome kisses a skull that emerges from the tomb (Jochanaan’s? Her father’s?) while naked angels with black wings wander on stage.

In sum, rather than focusing on the relation between Salome and Jochaanan, the spectators were led to focus on the relation between Salome and Herodes, and the role of the prophet remained somewhat in the background. The director’s take on Strauss' (and Oscar Wilde’s) drama apparently convinced the public: at the end, a tribute of applause was paid to the whole production team.

Even more successful was the musical side. In the title role, soprano Vida Miknevičiūtė was an outstanding Salome, displaying a voluminous, well trained and well supported voice, with a palette of colors that expressed a wide range of contrasting feelings. Baritone Michael Volle was a stubborn Jochanaan, vocally compelling, as was soprano Linda Watson in the role of Herodias. Tenor Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke lent his ringing voice to a vain and malign Herodes. I especially liked tenor Sebastian Kohlhepp, who sported a sizable, handsomely colored voice in the relatively secondary role of Narraboth.

The orchestra played with great intensity under the energetic baton of conductor Axel Kober. The final nine minutes-long applause turned into an ovation for Miknevičiūtė and for the conductor.