Klarinet Archive - Posting 000566.txt from 2002/10

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Salome
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 13:05:30 -0400

One more thing about the opera. It has been the source of more on-stage
gags than almost any other work. Perhaps the most famous was one in
which the man who sang John was a real hypochondriac. And he always
stuffed cotten in his ears to avoid getting diseases, I suppose.

Well several of the singers got hold of the clay head of John that is
used as part of the opera, and the stuffed cotton in the ears of the
head. In those days, the production involved the decapitation of John
out of sight of the audience. The executioner went down through the
trap door to John's dungeon cell and did his thing. One hears the blood
dripping in the "bloops" of the contrabassoon. And then the head, on a
silver platter, covered over with a large metal semi-globe (just like
being served venison in a fancy restaurant) was shoved up through the
hole which was used for the descent of the executioner. An arm holds
the head and Salome stares at it. A hell of a moment.

The soprano playing Salome took the silver platter, put it on the stage
and began her big 15-minute aria in which she has a genuine orgasm (as
is very noticeable in the orchestral accompaniment). After a few
minutes, she uncovered the head, saw the cotton in the ears, and passed
out!!

Beautiful???? C'mon.
--
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**Dan Leeson **
**leeson0@-----.net **
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