Salome

This innovative production of Richard Strauss's 1905 opera—inspired by Oscar Wilde's play—was staged by Teatro Comunale di Bologna and broadcast on Italian television in 2010. Stage director Gabriele Lavia opts for a modern-dress presentation, which works since the story's wild mix of envelope-pushing political, religious, and emotional obsessions carries a deep resonance in a contemporary world that is often terrified of ideas that dare to challenge the comfortable status quo. Set designer Alessandro Camera creates an astonishing opening sequence with a huge crack in the floor of the stage, symbolizing the pit where Jochanaan (John the Baptist to English-speaking viewers) is imprisoned—a scene suggesting that the complacency of Herod's court has been wrenched open by beliefs that the ruler futilely attempts to bury. Erika Sunnegårdh's Salome is a bold mix of physical sophistication and internal confusion: her fascination with the imprisoned Jochanaan (played with intellectual ferocity by a hirsute Mark S. Doss) and her inability to grasp his religious mania ignite a riot of feelings that ultimately leads to the famous sexually-charged dance that brutally seals the prophet's doom. The house orchestra shines under the baton of Nicola Luisotti in this fascinating interpretation of Strauss's celebrated work that boasts ample amounts of grace and style. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 and PCM stereo, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)