The Louisville Orchestra and Kentucky Opera come together for an electrifying performance of Salome, Richard Strauss’s shocking, intense, and unforgettable one-act opera. This collaboration unites orchestral power and operatic storytelling to present the work at full dramatic and musical scale.
Salome, Richard Strauss’s one-act opera based on Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name, is a stark and uncompromising psychological drama that explores desire, power, manipulation, and the corruption of innocence. Compact in form but overwhelming in impact, the opera unfolds with relentless intensity, driven by one of the most vivid and demanding scores in the repertoire.
The story centers on Salome, King Herod’s teenage stepdaughter, whose fascination with the imprisoned prophet Jokanaan grows into obsession. When Jokanaan rejects her advances and condemns the corruption of the court, Salome’s desire turns dark, setting the stage for an act of vengeance that propels the opera toward its shocking conclusion. Strauss’s music amplifies every psychological turn, using dense orchestration and extreme contrasts to heighten the drama.
Performed semi-staged in Whitney Hall, this collaboration between Kentucky Opera and the Louisville Orchestra brings the full weight of Strauss’s score to the forefront, placing the orchestra and singers at the center of the experience. Conducted by Teddy Abrams and directed by Ben Robinson, Salome offers opera audiences a direct, visceral encounter with one of the most provocative works of the twentieth century.
Teddy Abrams, conductor
Ben Robinson, director
Performed in collaboration with Kentucky Opera