Since her Met debut in 2012, South African soprano Elza van den Heever has become renowned not only for her high-voltage vocalism, but also her electric theatrical intensity in a series of heavy-hitting roles.
In advance of headlining Claus Guth’s new production of Salome (playing April 29–May 24), Elza van den Heever spoke with the Met’s Jay Goodwin about what makes the title role unique and her instinctive commitment to character.
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Salome is one of opera’s most unforgettable figures. What is it like to step into her skin?
Elza van den Heever: She’s so delicious—so complicated and fascinating and perverse and injured and abused. I’ve only done the role once before, in Paris in 2022, and it was a quite deranged version of the character. I loved every moment of dialing into that psyche. I can’t say that it was easy. It was six weeks of rehearsals for a new production, and the first three or four weeks were excruciating, trying to understand who Salome is and allowing myself, pushing myself to go into those dark places. But in the end it was the most liberating experience I’ve ever had.
Your director at the Met is Claus Guth, who’s making his company debut. Have you worked with him before?
Yes, at Frankfurt Opera in 2007. It was my very first European job, and I sang Giorgetta in Il Tabarro. It remains to this day one of my favorite processes of making a character come to life. It was like nothing I had experienced before, like playing a play rather than singing opera. I think he’s a genius. I’m so excited to work with him again after so many years of personal development.
You’re also reuniting with baritone Peter Mattei, who sings Jochanaan, following your memorable partnership in Wozzeck in the 2019–20 season. Like you, he is known for disappearing into his roles. Are you kindred spirits?
We both are just stage animals. I don’t know how not to be this way, and I don’t think he knows how not to be this way. With colleagues like this, you just throw yourself into the fray and, come hell or high water, you’re in it together. I absolutely love working with him.
Salome is a deeply unsettling tale. Is there a moral?
Actions have consequences. We have to treat the people around us with kindness and respect. If you are lucky enough to be a parent, make sure you do that with love and kindness as well, so that you do the best you can to bring a well-rounded, well-grounded individual into this world. And if somebody has mental health problems, don’t neglect them. Try to get them help. Care for them. Love them.
