Deborah Voigt Sings Her First Staged Salome This Weekend at Lyric Opera of Chicago | Playbill

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Classic Arts News Deborah Voigt Sings Her First Staged Salome This Weekend at Lyric Opera of Chicago Soprano Deborah Voigt makes her much-anticipated first stage appearance in the title role of Richard Strauss's Salome this weekend at Lyric Opera of Chicago. The new production by Francesca Zambello opens tonight.
In an interview with Lyric Opera's house magazine, Voigt said about the role, which Strauss described as ideal for a "a 16-year-old princess with the voice of Isolde," that she never imagined she'd have the chance to do this role onstage. "I'm very excited about playing the madness that is running through her. Look at the environment in which Salome lives, with her stepfather lusting after her and her mother looking the other way. It's all about her youth and curiosity, and something latent within her that's aroused by Jochanaan [John the Baptist].

"The role vocally is so full and rich," she continued, and, well, Straussian, which is a place my voice likes to live."

Voigt has already sung the role in concert performance in Tanglewood in 2001 and performed the final scene in concert several times. Her previous appearances singing Strauss at Lyric Opera include Chrysotemis's monologue from Elektra in a gala concert and the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos in 1998-99.

Also appearing in Lyric's Salome are mezzo-soprano Judith Forst as Herodias, tenor Kim Begley as Herod, bass-baritone Alan Held as Jochanaan and tenor Joseph Kaiser as Narraboth. Andrew Davis conducts the production; sets are by George Tsypin; costumes by Tatiana Noginova and lighting by James F. Ingalls. Following tonight's opening, there will be eight more performances through November 21. Information and tickets are available at www.lyricopera.org.

 
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