Strauss's 15 operas are of decidedly varying quality. Some are real snoozers, while others -- like this month's CCM -- are amongst the most thrilling achievements of 20th century art. Salome, based on the play by Oscar Wilde, is a wild ride, filled with thrilling writing, dazzling orchestration, and a twisted tale of lust, religion, and death. While the Dance of the Seven Veils is surely the most famous part, the whole opera shimmers.

Not wishing to spoil the work for those who are unfamiliar with it, I offer here just a snippet from the very opening, in hopes that you will explore some more.