Leaving aside the date chosen to broadcast this, it was a rather startling opera. Musically, for the most part, I thought it was what one might expect of its composer & period; except for the strange incursions of the Romans, 'singing' (or chanting) Latin, & accompanied by drumming - it was almost as if Nielson's 5th symphony had made an early appearance. The story was the other surprise - it involved all the characters of the Salome story (Salome, Herod, Herodias & John) but bore very little resemblance to the story familiar from the Bible & Strauss. Salome was Herodias' daughter, but she'd been abandoned as a child in the desert & rescued by John. She did fall in love with John, but he was also in love with her (& they have a duet together). John is killed, but at the demand of Herodias. Salome does die, but by stabbing herself when her hope of dying with John is thwarted & she is unsuccessful in an attempt to kill her mother. Perhaps the only bit fmiliar to us is that Herod is overcome with love - or lust - for Salome. But there's no dance.