The Atlanta Opera proudly presents a brand-new production of Salome, Richard Strauss’ twisted tale of a depraved tyrant, his bewitching stepdaughter, and her unholy infatuation with John the Baptist.
Based on the play by Oscar Wilde, itself based on the Gospel of Mark, the opera Salome scandalized the music world from its 1905 premiere well into the 1930s and continues to captivate with its sublimely rich musical tapestries. The opera is famous, or perhaps infamous, for its “Dance of the Seven Veils.”
photo by Raftermen
“Salome, like so many operas, is all about two basic themes: sex and death,” said Tomer Zvulun, Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General and Artistic Director at The Atlanta Opera. “The obsession of each character in this opera, with both themes, is contrasted with a backdrop of religion and politics.”
“The music is astounding, intricate, and full of nuance,” said Zvulun. “Somehow this score that Strauss wrote over a century ago, still retains the power to shock us, sweep us off our feet, and terrify us. On top of that, the title role is performed by Jennifer Holloway, who is known for her Salome across Europe but will be performing it in the US for the first time with us.”
The opera will be performed in German with English surtitles.
PERFORMANCES:
Tuesday, January 28 AT 7:30 PM, Friday, January 31at 8 PM and Sunday, February 2 at 3 PM
Running time is approximately 100 minutes. There will be no intermission.
LOCATION:
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339
TICKETS:
Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased at atlantaopera.org or by calling 404-881-8885.
photo by Raftermen
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:
Salome will be performed under the baton of Arthur Fagen, the Carl and Sally Gable Music Director at The Atlanta Opera since 2010. He is a regular guest at the most prestigious opera houses, concert halls, and music festivals at home and abroad, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Staatsoper Berlin, Munich State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the New York City Opera.
This production was created by Zvulun, along with scenic and projections designer and frequent collaborator Erhard Rom; lighting designer Robert Wierzel; costume designer Mattie Ullrich; and choreographer Amir Levy, who choreographed Atlanta’s recent hit production of Carmen.
In the title role is Jennifer Holloway, a dramatic soprano who has wowed audiences at leading opera houses and concert halls around the world with her portrayal of Salome, as well as Cassandre and Sieglinde. Other recent performances have met critical acclaim, including as Adalgisa in Norma, Fulvia in Glück’s Ezio, as well as in both the roles of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier and as Temple Drake in the world premiere of Oscar Strasnoy’s Requiem at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. An Atlanta-area resident and University of Georgia graduate, this is her first return to The Atlanta Opera since 2011’s Cosi Fan Tutte.
Dutch tenor Frank van Aken, a sought-after international tenor, will sing the role of Herod Antipas. A music graduate of the Opera Studio of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, van Aken has performed Siegmund in Die Walküre and Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtensk at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Parsifal in Parsifal and Alexej in The Gambler at Frankfurt Opera, and Tambourmajor in Wozzeck at De Nationale Opera in Amsterdam.
Marietta native and Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore will sing the role of Herodias, Herod’s second wife and sister-in-law. Larmore’s recent credits include Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth, Mère Marie in Les dialogues des carmelites, Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. Larmore was last seen at The Atlanta Opera in 2017’s Discoveries series production, The Seven Deadly Sins, where she wowed audiences with her performance as Anna I.
Canadian bass-baritone Nathan Berg makes his Atlanta Opera debut as Jochanaan, the prophet. An established specialist in the works of Wagner, Berg’s recent dramatic work has earned acclaim around the globe from the title role in Der fliegende Holländer in his Bolshoi Theatre debut, Alberich in Das Rheingold with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Minnesota Opera, and Doktor in Wozzeck with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Houston Symphony.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA OPERA:
The Atlanta Opera's mission is to build the major international opera company Atlanta deserves, with a visions to reimagine opera. Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera celebrates its 40th anniversary in the 2019-20 season. The Opera works with world-renowned singers, conductors, directors, and designers who seek to enhance the art form.
Under the leadership of internationally recognized stage director and Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, The Atlanta Opera expanded from three to four mainstage productions at Cobb Energy Centre and launched the acclaimed Discoveries series. In recent years, the company was recognized by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as part of its "Best of 2015" awards; it was nominated for an International Opera Award in 2016; and it won ArtsATL's 2019 Luminary Award for Community Engagement, recognizing its successful Veterans Program in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation.
For more information, visit atlantaopera.org
photo by Raftermen
WANT TO GO?
ENTER TO WIN 2 DATE NIGHT TICKETS TO
SALOME AT COBB ENERGY on FRIDAY, JANUARY 31st at 8PM !
Sorry this contest is over. Congratulations to our winner, Tracy W.
