Detailed information
Composer
Richard Strauss
Libretto
the composer based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé
For whom?
youth, adults
Language
german with polish subtitles
Where?
The Forest Opera in Sopot
Creatives
music director
Yoel Gamzou
conductor
Piotr Jaworski
concept
Tomasz Konieczny
direction
Romuald Wicza-Pokojski
set design concept
Boris Kudlička
set designer
Julia Maria Cieślak
costumes
Marek Adamski
choreography and stage movement
Maćko Prusak
lighting director
Bogumił Palewicz
stage manager
Piotr Borowy
Magdalena Szlawska
Bartosz Śmigielski
accompanist
Nataliia Gaponenko
Yaryna Rak
conductor's assistant
Anastasiia Mudrakova
director's assistant
Agata Dyczko
costume designer’s assistant
Marcin Żak
Description
The festival production of Richard Strauss’s Salome tells a story of loneliness and the fate of its main character — a teenage girl raised by a morally dubious mother and her consort, King Herod. The narrative is set against the backdrop of the long-standing religious and social conflict of the Middle East.
Salome is a one-act opera composed by Richard Strauss in 1905, based on Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name. The libretto, written by Strauss himself, is a German adaptation of Wilde’s original French-language drama.
The opera takes place in King Herod’s palace in Judea and recounts the biblical story of Princess Salome, who captivates Herod with her Dance of the Seven Veils in exchange for the head of John the Baptist (referred to in the opera as Jokanaan). The work stands out for its expressionistic musical language, rich orchestration, and intense emotional and psychological depth.
Salome premiered on December 9, 1905, in Dresden and caused a scandal due to its bold themes and eroticism, yet it quickly gained recognition as one of the masterpieces of 20th-century opera.
By permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.
Salome is a one-act opera composed by Richard Strauss in 1905, based on Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name. The libretto, written by Strauss himself, is a German adaptation of Wilde’s original French-language drama.
The opera takes place in King Herod’s palace in Judea and recounts the biblical story of Princess Salome, who captivates Herod with her Dance of the Seven Veils in exchange for the head of John the Baptist (referred to in the opera as Jokanaan). The work stands out for its expressionistic musical language, rich orchestration, and intense emotional and psychological depth.
Salome premiered on December 9, 1905, in Dresden and caused a scandal due to its bold themes and eroticism, yet it quickly gained recognition as one of the masterpieces of 20th-century opera.
By permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.
Cast
Herod
Gerhard Siegel
Herodias
Claudia Mahnke
Salome
Jennifer Holloway
Jochanaan
Oleksandr Pushniak
Narraboth
Omer Kobiljak
The Page of Herodias
Jan Jakub Monowid
First Jew
Mateusz Zajdel
Second Jew
Piotr Maciejowski
Third Jew
Zbigniew Malak
Fourth Jew
Tomasz Madej
Fifth Jew
Filip Rutkowski
First Nazarene
Mateusz Ługowski
Second Nazarene
Paweł Trojak
First soldier
Paweł Konik
Second soldier
Łukasz Konieczny
A Cappadocian
Michał Romanowski
Servants
Maike Günther
Natalia Kostrzewska
Karolina Zielińska
dancers
Greta Krajewska
Ludwiga Andruszkiewicz
Bartosz Kondracki
He graduated from the Wyższa Szkoła Umiejętności with a degree in Dance. He won numerous titles and awards at the Polish, European, and World Championships. From 2007 to 2008, he was a dancer with the Kielecki Teatr Tańca. He has been associated with the Baltic Opera since 2009.
Since 2018, together with Sayaka Haruna-Kondracka, she has been creating original productions, including Below Sea Level, Carousel, My Fault, Imago, Ego, and Encounter. In 2019, they assisted Izabela Sokołowska-Boulton in creating the choreography for the opera Thaïs by Jules Massenet. In 2022, they were responsible for the choreography and stage movement for the opera King Roger by Karol Szymanowski, followed by Rigoletto in 2023 and La Bohème in 2024.
Since 2018, together with Sayaka Haruna-Kondracka, she has been creating original productions, including Below Sea Level, Carousel, My Fault, Imago, Ego, and Encounter. In 2019, they assisted Izabela Sokołowska-Boulton in creating the choreography for the opera Thaïs by Jules Massenet. In 2022, they were responsible for the choreography and stage movement for the opera King Roger by Karol Szymanowski, followed by Rigoletto in 2023 and La Bohème in 2024.
Filip Michalak
Graduate of the Ballet School in Gdańsk. After completing his studies, he began working at the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz, and in 1999 he joined the Baltic Opera, where he debuted as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.
In 2012, he received the Nagroda Miasta Gdańska dla Młodych Twórców w Dziedzinie Kultury, and in 2022 he was awarded the Nagroda Teatralna Marszałka Województwa Pomorskiego for his outstanding acting technique and vibrant stage energy in the performance of Don Quixote.
In 2012, he received the Nagroda Miasta Gdańska dla Młodych Twórców w Dziedzinie Kultury, and in 2022 he was awarded the Nagroda Teatralna Marszałka Województwa Pomorskiego for his outstanding acting technique and vibrant stage energy in the performance of Don Quixote.
Daniel Morrison
Agnieszka Wojciechowska
Graduate of the Ballet School in Warsaw. After obtaining her professional dancer’s diploma, she continued her education at the Rotterdamse Dansacademie – Codarts. She has been associated with the Baltic Opera since 2008, where from 2010 to 2016 she was a soloist of the Baltic Dance Theatre. She performed, among others, in productions by Izadora Weiss, Emil Wesołowski, Jacek Przybyłowicz, and Jiří Kylián.
Michał Zelent
Graduate of the Ballet School in Poznań. He was a finalist of the Ogólnopolski Konkurs Baletowy in 2013. As a student, he performed at the Teatr Wielki w Poznaniu. He has been associated with the Baltic Opera since 2016.
Sinfonia Varsovia
Photos
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