Penthouse decadence for a shattering new Salome in Geneva

Olesya Golovneva (Salome)

John Daszak (Herodes), Olesya Golovneva, Gábor Bretz and Tanja Ariane Baumgartner (Herodias)

Gábor Bretz (Jochanaan) and Olesya Golovneva (Salome)

The Dance of the Seven Veils

By Mark Pullinger, 23 January 2025

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“Herodes doesn’t need an orange tan for us to know who he is and what he represents”

Reviewed at Grand Théâtre de Genève, Geneva on 22 January 2025

Strauss R., Salome

Grand Théâtre de Genève

Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Conductor

Kornél Mundruczó, Director

Monika Pormale, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Felice Ross, Lighting Designer

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Kata Weber, Dramaturgy

Olesya Golovneva, Salome

Gábor Bretz, Jochanaan

John Daszak, Herodes

Tanja Ariane Baumgartner, Herodias

Matthew Newlin, Narraboth

Nicolai Elsberg, 1st Nazarene, 2nd Soldier

Rémi Garin, 2nd Nazarene

Mark Kurmanbayev, 1st Soldier, 5th Jew

Emanuel Tomljenović, 4th Jew

Vincent Ordonneau, 3rd Jew

Alexander Kravets, 2nd Jew

Michael J. Scott, 1st Jew

Ena Pongrac, Herodias' Page

Castor et Pollux in Geneva: among the stars, with shadows

Laura Servidei, 28th March

Rameau’s Castor et Pollux returns to the stage in a new production that brings together Baroque repertoire and contemporary theatrical aesthetics, conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón and performed by Cappella Mediterranea with an international cast.

***11

Bal Impérial & Boléro: multi-layered work challenges in Geneva

Daniel Pratt, 19th November

The premiere of Bal Impérial by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui challenges and interrogates to great effect in Geneva.

****1

Pelléas et Mélisande as a dark, shining fairy tale in Geneva

Elodie Olson-Coons, 26th October

A maximalist production of Pelléas et Mélisande at Geneva's Grand Théâtre shines, but tries a little too hard.

****1

An arthouse staging for Messiaen's testament of beauty in Geneva

Peter Quantrill, 11th April

Installation art sounds a dissonant note with the sublime harmony of Saint François d’Assise in Adel Abdessemed's creation at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.

****1

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui presents Idomeneo as a confused ballet in Geneva

Laura Servidei, 2nd March

The Grand Théâtre de Genève presents a new production of Mozart’s opera seria where the focus is all on dancing and rope twirling. Nevertheless, a good cast, led by Federica Lombardi as Elettra, manages to shine through.

**111

Justice in Geneva: musically appealing but missing its mark

David Karlin, 22nd January

Director Milos Rau, composer Hèctor Parra and librettist Fiston Mwanza Mujila put the operatic spotlight on the fight for justice after a mining disaster in the DRC, with mixed results.

**111

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

New York penthouse decadence for a shattering new Salome in Geneva