The final cistern scene, in which a blood-daubed Elza van den Heever as Salome finally kisses the head, is a masterstroke.

With shimmering skirts, spine-tingling vocals, and choreography that seems to breathe with the music itself, Analia Farfan ...

It’s a credit to Gioachino Rossini’s genius that the opera’s music remains ubiquitous in our cultural soundtrack.