Magnificent Obsessions

Harry Kupfer’s production of Salome has been a part of the Staatsoper’s repertoire for 35 years now, and it is not difficult to see why it still has the power to fill the house. The semi-modernised, slightly industrial staging is so perfectly attuned to Strauss’ masterful score that one is rarely conscious of sitting in a theatre; instead, one quickly becomes involved, engrossed and overwhelmed by what remains – more than a century after its première – a wonderfully twisted story. If this particular revival managed to distinguish itself – and it was, indeed, a source of near constant excitement – it was largely due to the magnificent musical direction of Zubin Mehta and an equally astonishing performance by Camilla Nylund in the title role. Salome is, essentially, a tale of obsessions; more specifically, it deals with the consequences…