Oscar Wilde describes his “Salomé” as containing “refrains whose recurring motifs make it so like a piece of music and bind it together as a ballad.” In his opera adaptation of Wilde’s play, the backbone of Richard Strauss’ opulent setting is a series of densely woven leitmotifs, which elaborate the relationship between Herodias’ daughter and the prophet Jochanaan. In Gabriele Lavia’s triumphant 2010 Bologna production, the linking of Salome’s naive insouciance, sexual obsession and cruelty as portrayed by Erika Sunnegårdh is also subtly reflected in the scenic representation. Under the musical direction of internationally acclaimed conductor Nicola Luisotti, the stellar cast of experienced singers including Mark S. Doss as Jochanaan, Robert Brubaker as Herodes and Dalia Schaechter as Herodias give an energetic performance of Strauss’ early masterpiece.