In charge of the very big orchestra that Strauss’s orchestration demands is the Italian conductor Carlo Rizzi, who will once again conduct the Monnaie musicians with whom he has had some outstanding successes in recent seasons. A composition that at times flirts with expressionism in the powerful evocation of the characters’ passions, it demands a high standard of precision in its interpretation in order to reach for a truth which has never ceased to astound audiences since its creation. We are still spellbound by Salome.

Like la Bohème, Salome is an opera from the 1900s. Are you especially drawn to this period in the history of opera?
No it’s pure coincidence. Naturally, Italian conductors who specialise in opera are often asked to interpret Italian operas, especially as the Italian repertoire represents 70% of the total repertoire. But I have also often conducted Strauss! I am very fond of Strauss, particularly because of his virtuosity in the use of the orchestra, and above all in the use of the instruments and the musical colour he manages to get out of the orchestra. And, in a way, we find the same thing in Puccini: he, too, was famous for his talent as an orchestrator. As a result, to conduct this repertoire is an exciting adventure for any conductor. I accepted the task with alacrity, more so as it was with the Monnaie orchestra…!

But surely Puccini and Strauss are at opposite ends of the spectrum?
All the composers at the turn of the century were fascinated by the discovery of new resonances in the orchestra. For example in Strauss’s Salome we have the heckelphone (an instrument with a double reed pitched an octave below the oboe); in Puccini’s work we find lots of new percussion instruments, some of which were more successful than others. Both of them sought to enlarge their horizons in the world of sounds that they were creating.

Salome represents a key moment in the history of music: we can see it as the end of romanticism or the beginning of a period of innovation. What does the work symbolise for you?
I approach this score as one that predates the new period. The term romanticism is not only used to define an historic period but also to describe the expression of strong feelings such as desire, love and passion… In Salome it is the expressiveness of the music that matters to Strauss, to such an extent that it borders on expressionism. His music is extremely expressive: we understand the situation straight away from the opening bars. The orchestra depicts this situation perfectly: for example, the clarinets with their dissonant intervals create an atmosphere which is far from romantic, but which fulfils a descriptive function, by characterising the feelings and conditions of the tormented souls of the post-romantic world.

Salome also occupies an important place in the body of Strauss’s work…!
Elektra and Salome are in another class from the rest of Strauss’s operas. I can imagine that they are the most satisfying for a director to stage as they are not tied to a period or a specific place. It’s true that Salome tells the story of Jochanaan (John the Baptist) locked up in jail, but fundamentally it is about a battle, a psychological confrontation between the characters. It is completely different in Der Rosenkavalier : I am convinced that it is impossible to stage Der Rosenkavalier in any other setting than the Vienna of that period, because it would be going against the music. The musical world of Vienna in the 18th century is present in the music. The music of Salome and Elektra in contrast is more concerned with describing the inner life of the characters, the psychology of human beings in general.

You have spoken about the very rich orchestration of Salome. Is this the ultimate dream of every conductor or is it rather the stuff of nightmares as you try to find a balance between the orchestra and the singers?
There is a huge problem with this score! Strauss chose to have a large orchestra not only in order to produce a very strong sound but also to have the maximum of colours to play with. It is not the volume that is important but rather the quality of the sound and it is necessary to be constantly aware of preserving the balance between the orchestra and the singers! There is, however, another element that can help us… You know that there are two versions of the score in existence: one for a very large orchestra and the other for a slightly reduced number of instruments. I spent a great deal of time thinking about which version to use and I finally arrived at a compromise. I went with the smaller version whilst keeping the heckelphone and the two harps which only appear in the bigger version. I think that this choice gives me the best of both worlds: on the one hand we have the transparency of a smaller orchestra, and on the other hand the singularity and authenticity of the sound envisaged by Strauss created by a larger orchestra. The smaller version – which received Strauss’s blessing – is more compact. And I think it will sound better in a theatre like the Monnaie on account of the size of the theatre. But, as I said, I am keeping those additional instruments in order to create the sound that Strauss wanted when he was composing his work.

You are taking over an already existing production. Will it be easy to make it your own?
It goes without saying that here and there I will emphasise different things but I don’t think it will be a problem. There are, of course, things that I interpret differently. Taking over a production is like buying a house that has already been painted in certain colours but where you can add a new coat of paint.

So what colours are you going to use to paint this house? Or, to put it another way, what do you intend to accentuate in your version at the Monnaie?
It’s not easy to say. I’m not a big fan of heavy, powerful music. Sometimes it’s necessary but I don’t want to end up with a battle between the orchestra and the singers. I don’t think that is what Strauss had in mind. When you concentrate on playing what is written it sorts itself out. Strauss gives very precise instructions to the singers. On the other hand it is very difficult to play or sing the music exactly as it is written down. That can be frustrating for the orchestra because the conductor is always pushing the musicians to play more softly, yet you can’t constantly perform at a whisper. That’s why the smaller version seems more suitable to me: the orchestra is freer and better balanced with the singers. For example Jochanaan is very well portrayed by the orchestra, always accompanied by particular instruments, but his vocal score also contains an incredible diversity of colours! I want to get to the point where the voices, like the orchestra, can make use of their full palette of colours. Everything, from the smallest detail to the largest gesture, must be clear! It is very important to me to communicate to the audience the feelings of the characters and the very particular feeling of Salome’s discontent, in such a way that the performance becomes a psychological journey. For the audience Salome is a cathartic experience: the performance of this work should not be limited to merely a musical experience, it should become a total art experience.

Interview by Reinder Pols