"Based on Oscar Wilde's lurid play, Strauss's opera is an intense psychological exploration of the Salome story. Her brutality and power are the product of the warped cycles of masculinity that have been passed down through the generations.

Salome is among the works that set the course of music in the last century. It is celebrated for Salome's 'Dance of the Seven Veils', which Herod demands in return for whatever Salome wants. Her choice is shocking, and reveals how far she will go to embody the twisted ideals of her parents' world."