The Los Angeles Philharmonic continued its decades-long relationship with the iconoclastic Irish composer Gerald Barry Tuesday night, giving the U.S. Premiere of his operatic reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s “Salome” at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The performance, conducted by Thomas Adès – who has championed Barry’s work for over 20 years – wasn’t a straightforward adaptation, but rather a Dadaist deconstruction, a playful and unsettling exploration of the play’s themes through a distinctly modern lens. This production of “Salome” is a prime example of the L.A. Phil’s commitment to presenting challenging and innovative new music to American audiences.
Barry’s “Salome,” described by the composer as an opera encompassing themes from “voyeurism” to “Frankenstein,” is a far cry from the lush, late-Romantic score Richard Strauss famously set to Wilde’s play. Where Strauss emphasized the psychological horror and sensuality, Barry leans into the absurd, the unsettling, and the darkly comedic. The composer himself has significantly trimmed Wilde’s original text, focusing on a core of obsession, desire, and the grotesque. This isn’t a retelling of “Salome”. it’s a refracted, fragmented vision of it.
A History of Collaboration: Barry and the L.A. Phil
The L.A. Phil’s dedication to Barry’s work began in 2006 with the premiere of “The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit,” a work that immediately established the composer’s penchant for the outlandish. Adès, who has conducted all four U.S. Or world premieres of Barry’s operas with the orchestra, recognized a unique voice and a willingness to push boundaries. This was followed by “The Importance of Being Ernest” in 2011, and “Alice’s Adventures Underground” in 2016, each building on the previous work’s reputation for musical spectacle and irreverent humor. As the Los Angeles Times noted in its 2016 review of “Alice’s Adventures Underground,” Barry’s operas are not merely funny, but “outrageous musical spectacle.”
The pandemic disrupted plans for the initial performance of “Salome” in 2021, leading to its first staging in Magdeburg, Germany, last year. Barry himself expressed a preference for concert performances, like the one at the Green Umbrella series, suggesting a focus on the music itself rather than the full theatrical apparatus. This preference speaks to the core of Barry’s artistic vision: a prioritization of sound and texture over traditional narrative.
Typing, French, and a Half-Crazed King
One of the most striking elements of Barry’s “Salome” is its unconventional staging. Salome’s infamous “Dance of the Seven Veils” is reimagined as “sexy typing,” a deliberate subversion of expectation. The characters, stripped of their names and reduced to archetypes – The King, The Queen, The Prisoner – further contribute to the opera’s unsettling atmosphere. The Prisoner, representing John the Baptist, speaks exclusively in French (Wilde’s play was originally written in French in 1893), and the surtitles often refrain from translating, forcing the audience to rely on tone and musical cues to decipher his meaning.
Soprano Alison Scherzer delivered a spectacular performance as Salome, embracing the character’s “Barbie with exceptional smarts and grotesque sexual fantasies.” Baritone Vincent Casagrande was equally compelling as The Prisoner, his French pronouncements dripping with disdain. Tenor Timur, as The King, brought a manic energy to the role, his lust for Salome expressed through erratic shifts in tempo dictated by a metronome. Sara Hershkowitz’s Queen provided a powerful counterpoint, her voice filled with contempt.
A Ghoulish, Yet Accepting, Finale
The climax of the opera, traditionally a moment of shocking horror, takes a decidedly different turn in Barry’s version. Instead of demanding the head of John the Baptist, Salome’s typing culminates in a Frankenstein-esque dismemberment. The ending, while ghoulish, is described as “not unhappy,” suggesting a perverse acceptance of the opera’s inherent absurdity. This isn’t a celebration of violence, but rather a commentary on the human tendency to find meaning – or even pleasure – in the macabre.
Adès’s conducting was masterful, fully embracing the score’s unpredictable nature and highlighting its moments of both beauty and dissonance. He clearly understands Barry’s musical language, conducting with a playful energy that mirrored the composer’s own sensibility. The L.A. Phil New Music Group responded with a performance of remarkable precision and commitment, navigating the score’s complexities with apparent ease.
The success of this “Salome” lies in its ability to transcend mere silliness and offer a surprisingly profound meditation on the absurdity of existence. As Barry himself suggests, the opera becomes a “lavishly lovable antidote” to a world often perceived as tragic. The L.A. Phil’s continued support of Barry’s work is a testament to its commitment to presenting audiences with challenging and rewarding artistic experiences.
The L.A. Phil’s Green Umbrella series will continue throughout the season, offering further opportunities to explore contemporary music. Details on upcoming performances and related events can be found on the Los Angeles Philharmonic website.
What did you think of this unique take on a classic tale? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
