Oscar Wilde’s drama about the biblical princess who has the prophet Jochanaan beheaded so she can kiss his dead mouth unfolds a tableau of human depravity: From murder and necrophilia to sexualised violence, one shocking moment follows another. But it was not only these themes that made Strauss’s Salome a scandal, but also its radically modern, overwhelming music, which was far ahead of its time. The «Faust» Prize winner Claus Guth incorporates insights from psychoanalysis, which emerged around the time of the 1905 premiere, into his production and delves into Salome’s subconscious: Younger versions of her Self accompany Salome like shadows of past wounds, together struggling to cope with childhood traumas. In a stage design that maintains the illusion of a flawless facade, reality, dream and memory begin to blur – the path from victim to perpetrator seems inevitable. Marc Albrecht conducts, and Elisabeth Strid will be performing Barrie Kosky’s new London Brünnhilde as Salome for the first time.