Met Opera’s Psychological ‘Salome’ Explores Trauma and Identity Through Six Versions of the Princess

The Metropolitan Opera’s latest production of Strauss’s ‘Salome,’ directed by Claus Guth in his Met debut, reimagines the biblical story through a modern psychological lens. Instead of the traditional clarinet opening, the performance begins with a music box and a child aggressively playing with a doll, immediately introducing themes of fractured childhood and violence. Guth surrounds soprano Elza van den Heever’s Salome with six younger versions of herself, dressed uniformly in dark frocks reminiscent of ‘The Shining,’ symbolizing her fragmented identity. Set in a bleak early 20th-century mansion, the production shifts the narrative to explore trauma and psychoanalysis, with the Dance of the Seven Veils reenacted as a procession of Salomes reflecting years of abuse. Van den Heever delivers a vocally nuanced performance, balancing innocence and rage, while Peter Mattei’s Jochanaan and Gerhard Siegel’s Herod add depth to the oppressive atmosphere. Though projections and masks occasionally falter, Guth’s vision succeeds in portraying Salome’s final moments as a solitary figure confronting her trauma, underscored by the Met Orchestra’s evocative playing under Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s baton.