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The Holland Festival presents its traditional Opera at the Park in the beautiful park Frankendael. As always, you can enjoy a picnic and watch an opera which is broadcasted live from National Opera & Ballet on a big screen in the park. This year we present Salome by Richard Strauss directed by Ivo van Hove.

If she can’t have his love, Princess Salome will have John the Baptist’s head on a silver platter. Richard Strauss’ opera Salome (1905) is an inescapable eruption of religion, sex, and violence. Dutch National Opera is premiering a new staging by director Ivo van Hove. In addition to his work as artistic director of Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Van Hove has directed operas such as Der Ring des Nibelungen (2007/2008, Antwerp/Ghent) and Brokeback Mountain (2014, Madrid), and David Bowie’s musical Lazarus (2015, New York). The Swedish soprano Malin Byström stars in the title role, Russian bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin is singing the role of John the Baptist. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is conducted by Daniele Gatti. This Salome promises to be a passionate analysis of the human spirit.

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