Salome opera, poster for showing at the National Opera, Paris
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Salome Opera: Scandal and Richard Strauss Makes His Career

ByBill LeFurgy

When Richard Strauss attended a Berlin theatre production of Wilde’s play Salome in 1903, he imagined a Salome opera, feeling the play “cried out for music.” By choosing this provocative story for operatic treatment, Strauss courted controversy—perhaps in hopes of drawing attention. As Alex Ross notes, the composer “felt drawn to sexually charged material throughout…

Salomania: Maud Allen
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Salome Story: Her Shocking Bare Midriff Amazes America

ByBill LeFurgy

Revised April 2, 2025 A Salome story: I spent many years working with historical documents at the Library of Congress and other cultural heritage institutions. Historical documents, also known as primary sources, provide firsthand evidence about people, events, and ideas from the past. Primary sources can reveal great stories about what has—and hasn’t—changed over time….