Q & A: Soprano Ambur Braid on Working with Amanda Seyfried on ‘Seven Veils’ & Singing COC Production of ‘Salome’ at the Same Time

Atom Egoyan‘s “Seven Veils” is an ambitious film. Set in Toronto, it follows Jeanine, a theater director doing a revival of “Salome” at the Canadian Opera Company. As she digs deeper into the production, created by her former mentor, Jeanine is faced with some of her past traumas uniting “reality” with the theatrical. The film delves deep into Jeanine’s psychology {…}

Mar 19, 2025

Elza van den Heever & Peter Mattei Lead Metropolitan Opera’s New ‘Salome’

The Metropolitan Opera is set to present a new production of Strauss’ “Salome.” The opera opens on April 29 marking the first new Met production of the opera in more than 20 years. Claus Guth directs the production with an acclaimed cast that includes Elza van den Heever and Peter Mattei who reunite on the Met stage following Berg’s “Wozzeck” during {…}

Feb 26, 2025

Latvian National Opera 2025 Review: Salome

(Photo: Agnese Zeltiņa | Files.fm.) I’m not generally given to elaborating on opera plots; preferring for the audience to discover them for themselves, even where the outline of the tale is fairly well known. Alas, I feel somewhat compelled to at least superficially proffer some brief abridgement of “Salome,” if only to illustrate and accentuate the bizarre, outlandish and frequently {…}

Jan 17, 2025

Laura Wilde Headlines Live Stream of Malmö Opera’s ‘Salome’

Malmö Opera is set to live stream “Salome” on March 9, 2025. The showcase will star Laura Wilde in the title role alongside Lars Cleveman as Herod, Karin Lovelius as Herodias, and Kostas Smoriginas as Jochanaan. Other cast members include Conny Thimander, Mathilda Bryngelsson, Carl Rahmqvist, Tor Lind, Rickard Söderberg, Fredrik Hagerberg, Joel Kyhle, Magnus Lindegård, Darko Neshovski, Caspar Engdahl, {…}

Sep 16, 2024

Wiener Staatsoper Announces Cast Change for ‘Salome’

(Credit: Wiener Staatsoper) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its September run of Strauss’ “Salome.” The company said that Vida Miknevičiūtė will sing the title role on Sept. 21 and Jennifer Holloway will sing it on Sept. 23 and 25, 2024 replacing Simone Schneider, who was originally scheduled. Miknevičiūtė has performed the opera at the Victorian Opera, Bolshoi {…}

May 28, 2024

Opéra de Paris 2024 Review: Salome

(Photo: Charles Duprat / Opéra National de Paris) Whether you liked it or not, Lydia Steier’s “Salome” was the event of last season. Bleeding bodies, shooting guns, nudity, and rape; it was an R-rated “Salome.” Its provocations echoed both Wilde’s spirit and current discussions of gender, capitalism, and harassment. In this revival, the story is a bit different. The true {…}

May 9, 2024

Artist of the Week: Lise Davidsen

Soprano Lise Davidsen is no stranger to Strauss as she has performed the Marschallin “Der Rosenkavalier,” Chrysothemis in “Elektra” and and the title role of “Ariadne auf Naxos.” She has also performed the Four Last Songs. For all these roles she had garnered universal acclaim with OperaWire stating, “She can be comic, tragic, and romantic. She can be physical and {…}

Dec 13, 2023

Q & A: Soprano Linda Ballová On Her Career Path, ‘Salome,’ & the Challenges for Slovak Singers in Europe

(Photo: Tamara Cerna SofiG) Immediately after the curtain came down on Brno National Theater’s excellent production of Richard Strauss’ “Salome,” OperaWire nipped around to the stage door for an interview appointment with Slovakian soprano Linda Ballová, who had just produced a stunning performance in the titular role. It is unlikely that many opera-goers in Western countries will have heard the {…}

Dec 9, 2023

Brno National Theater 2023-24 Review: Salome

(Photo: Marek Olbryzmek) Richard Strauss’ “Salome” is one of those operas that lives or dies through the performance of one singer. In this case, it is the soprano cast in the title role. If she cannot hold the audience’s attention, either because she is unable to bring the necessary energy and expressivity to her singing or because she does {…}

Dec 8, 2023

Meet the Person Behind the Voice: Soprano Linda Ballová

(Photo: Attila Nagy) Following Linda Ballová’s compelling performance in the title role of “Salome” at the Brno National Theatre, OperaWire thought it would be interesting to interview the Slovakian soprano. After which, we had a short chat to find out more about the person behind the voice. OperaWire: What was the first opera you saw? Linda Ballová: It was “Carmen” {…}

Oct 8, 2023

R. Strauss’ Musical Legacy Celebrated in Curtis Symphony Orchestra’s Season Opener

The Curtis Symphony Orchestra and members of the Curtis Opera Theatre will open the 2023–24 season on October 22 at 7 p.m. at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Cultural Campus, with a tribute to composer Richard Strauss entitled ‘Spectacular Strauss.’ Curtis’ young musicians will showcase their talent, led by conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Micah Gleason. Nézet-Séguin holds the position of music director {…}