Salome op. 54

The current volume presents two additional versions of Salome op. 54 personally compiled by Strauss after the composition of the German version (published in the RSW Series I, Vol. 3a): the first French Version prepared in cooperation with Romain Rolland in 1905 and published in 1906 and the Dresden Retouched Version, an adaptation dating from 1929 for lyrical soprano.

Neither of these versions has up to now been accessible to a wider audience. The volume also includes the transition passage and conclusion of the individual edition of the Solo Scene dating from 1908 as a supplement to the RSW series I Vol. 3a.

The current edition is constructed on preliminary work undertaken by Salome Reiser (1965–2014). She was the individual who discovered the retouches in a variety of conducting scores, thereby creating vital impulses for further research into this topic. She additionally succeeded in locating the decisive historical musical sources of the French Version, hereby laying the foundations for the edition.

The documentation of the libretto, the correspondence quoted below and additional documents on the genesis and performance history of the versions in this sub-volume are published in full on the online platform: www.richard-strauss-ausgabe.de.

Cast: Herodes · Tenor - Herodias · Mezzo-Soprano - Salome · Soprano - Jochanaan · Baritone - Narraboth · Tenor - Page der Herodias · Alto - 5 Juden · 4 Tenors, 1 Bass - 2 Nazarener · Tenor, Bass - 2 Soldaten · 2 Basses - Ein Cappadozier · Bass - Ein Sklave