The 1907 Salome Scandal
Photo: Olive Fremstad as Salome. Photo by Byron, New York, 1907. From The Sembrich Collection. Click to enlarge
On the evening of January 22, 1907 Madame Sembrich sang on a concert preceding The Metropolitan Opera’s premiere of Richard Strauss’ one-act opera Salome starring Olive Fremstad (pictured). While other performers sang popular operatic selections, Mme. Sembrich instead presented two songs by Strauss. The premiere that followed was an apparent success with the addition of three non-subscription performances. However, the premiere also caused quite a scandal, shocking audiences and earning scathing reviews. As a result, Salome would not return to The Met’s stage until 1934. The reason why? The day following the premiere, an emergency meeting of the board of The Metropolitan Opera and Real Estate Company was called by board member J.P. Morgan, whose daughter had been incensed by the work after seeing its final dress rehearsal earlier in the week. Though exact justification is uncertain, the three future performances were immediately cancelled and the opera banned from the company indefinitely.
For more information on Salome’s infamous Met Opera premiere, check out this article in from Opera News magazine: Salome at the Met.
Photo: Olive Fremstad as Salome. Photo by Byron, New York, 1907. From The Sembrich Collection.
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