Salome - Wien - 2026/27

Volksoper Wien, Wien

Salome, the king’s daughter, is weary of the decadence and amorality of her surroundings. She finds an alternative in the chastity of the prophet Jochanaan, who is being held captive in a cistern by her stepfather Herod and who captivates her with his charismatic speeches. Jochanaan’s rejection heightens her fascination to the point of ecstasy: Salome wants to kiss him. When Herod—whom she detests—promises his stepdaughter anything she could possibly desire in exchange for a dance, Salome is fiercely determined. She agrees, but demands a high price in return: the prophet’s head.

Luc Bondy’s timeless production is a classic of late-20th-century staging: Following its premiere at the Salzburg Festival in 1992, it was hailed by critics as a “highly sublime family chamber drama” that “turns this work itself into a hero,” and hailed as “Richard Strauss as a psychological thriller,” it was later staged at venues including London’s Royal Opera House, the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, and La Scala in Milan. In 2023, it celebrated its Vienna premiere at the Volksoper in a staging by Marie-Louise Bischofberger-Bondy and can now be experienced once again.