Massenet's Hidden Gem

Jules Massenet's Herodiade is a hidden gem in the canon, telling the story of the biblical figure Salome, as told in French novelist Gustave Flaubert's 1877 novella Herodias. The Lyric Opera presents the work in concert for the first time ever, at long last bringing this little known masterpiece to Chicago audiences. Enrique Mazzola directs this special production which allows the music's brilliance and the dramatic poetry to shine without distraction.

What Is The Story?

Rarely performed despite being such a remarkable piece from one of opera's greats, Herodiade retells the first-century tale of the princess Salome, King Herode who is infatuated with her, his wife Queen Herodiade who is consumed by her jealousy, and the rebel prophet Jean, a.k.a. John The Baptiste, who attracts the queen's ire. A tense political and religious drama, the work premiered in Brussels in 1881 and was notable for its less violent portrayal of the story than those by other composers and authors.