Karita Mattila a soprano from Finland, sang the title role of Salome. What an explosive voice, act and dance performance, although I would have preferred the traditional stage set . There are traditional and updated interpretations of the The Dance of The Seven Veils, choose which one you feel suits your belief, but for me the actual sensual dance is just as complicated and mystical as its meaning. Richard Strauss' music picked up every subtle movement and the artistic climax yet I couldn't bring myself to accept this change to a contemporary stage set especially as Salome sheds each of the seven pieces of clothing from her modern-day pantsuit. Creative as it was, it seems that the flavor of the dance in the Salome spirit has been lost in this variation.
No question about it, the music and the singing superb. All the elaborations on this biblical tale of the execution of John the Baptist made up this new production of the Salome by the Metropolitan Opera and is another success story. Joined by our friend Dorothy and her friend Mildred, we enjoyed the performance.
