Strauss took considerable pains over his setting of the words for the French version of Salome. He entered into correspondence with musicologist and literary critic Romain Rolland over the musical stresses and accentuation of Wilde's original French text. These letters are at times even more fascinating than Strauss' letters with Hofmannsthal. Not only note values are changed for the new word stresses, but also sometimes the melodic lines. The French version has been recorded (on Virgin) and at times sounds even more deliciously decadent than the original German score, if that is possible. There should be a piano-vocal version of the French version of Salome somewhere, though I have never seen a copy. It would be nice to have one at IMSLP.
--Sixtus
Strauss: Salome in French
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sbeckmesser
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