Richard Strauss in Dresden
The series about historical places of opera art & culture. Get to know exciting excursion and travel ideas for opera lovers. This time: Richard Strauss in Dresden.
All Destinations on google maps with links to detailed Blogposts:
Richard Strauss in Dresden
Richard Strauss first saw the theater play “Salome” in 1902 in a production by Max Reinhard and three years later created an expressionist sound world that seemed to break with everything previously known. Despite the now thirteen years that had passed since the first performance of Oscar Wilde’s play, the piece, now set to music as an opera, met with open hostility from traditionalists (see below). But the premiere in Dresden became a sensation and “Salome” began its triumphal march around the world.
Dresden became indisputably the Richard Strauss city. The fact that so many of Strauss’ works were premiered in Dresden came about by chance. Strauss was Kapellmeister in Berlin and wanted to premiere his opera “Feuersnot” there. This was not possible for censorship reasons and so he went to the Semper Opera in Dresden, where the brilliant Ernst von Schuch was able to perform this work for the first time, and later also “Salome”, “Elektra” and “Rosenkavalier”.
Several Strauss weeks soon followed, and with conductor Fritz Busch, further premieres were added with “Intermezzo” and “Die ägyptische Helena” in the 1920s and “Arabella” in 1933.
Destination Semper opera
Dresden became indisputably the Richard Strauss city. The fact that so many of Strauss’ works were premiered in Dresden came about by chance. Strauss was Kapellmeister in Berlin and wanted to premiere his opera “Feuersnot” there. This was not possible for censorship reasons and so he went to the Semper Opera in Dresden, where the brilliant Ernst von Schuch was able to perform this work for the first time, and later also “Salome”, “Elektra” and “Rosenkavalier”. Several Strauss weeks soon followed, and with conductor Fritz Busch, further premieres were added with “Intermezzo” and “Die ägyptische Helena” in the 1920s and “Arabella” in 1933.
The Semperoper, which reopened in 1985, honored Richard Strauss with a bronze bust that can be found in the foyer.
Strauss’ bust:
Musical background: the shocker of the Dresden premiere of Salome
The subject matter of a 16-year-old virgin kissing the severed head of John the Baptist was received as an outrageous perversion, or rather the result of moral depravity, when Wilde’s novel was published in 1892 and caused a solid scandal. Thirteen years later it was no different. Even the singers’ rehearsals were harbingers of the coming turmoil. The Salome of the premiere, Marie Wittich, at first refused to sing the part (“I am a decent woman”). Strauss mocked the reaction of “Aunt Wittich” and threatened to move the premiere to Berlin.
The work was openly rejected at both the German and Austrian courts. The first performance of Salome at the Dresden Court Opera on December 9, 1905, became a sensation. Although the critics were highly disdainful of the work, the audience was enthusiastic about Strauss’s “shocker” and “Salome” began its triumphal march around the world.
Salome’s unveiling dance of the seven veils stirred up emotions, and at the premiere Marie Wittich refused to perform the erotic dance herself. It was danced by a dancer and this tradition has subsequently endured. One of the few exceptions was the American soprano Maria Ewing. She sang and danced the role, and did so consistently. One veil after another falls to the floor until she actually presents herself stark naked.
Dance of the seven veils:
https://opera-inside.com/salome-by-richard-strauss-the-opera-guide/#Der
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!