Strauss: Salome ****
Salzburg Festival, 9th August 2018
Above Sigmundstor, the tunnel that cuts through Salzburg’s mighty Mönchsberg next to the Festspielhaus, is the Latin inscription Te saxa loquuntur: the stones speak of you. Also hewn into the Mönchsberg rock a stone’s throw south is the Felsenreitschule – literally Rock Riding School – the former cavalry stables, now festival theatre. In Romeo Castellucci’s production of Strauss’ Salome there, Te saxa loquuntur is emblazoned across the frontcloth. Before the curtain rises, Salome takes a sword and slices through this inscription. What secrets would these stones impart? Any help would be welcome because Castellucci only offers riddles.
Asmik Grigorian (Salome)
© Ruth Walz
Read the full review on Bachtrack.