The first Lyon production of Hérodiade in 1885 caused a scandal: “an ungodly representation of the subject”, “a falsification”, “historical blasphemy”, “a parade of vices”, “a profanation” etc. It is true that Jules Massenet did not pull any punches, taking his inspiration from Gustave Flaubert's iconoclastic version of the biblical legend in Herodias, one of his "Three Tales".

The quartet of blood and desire formed by John the Baptist, Herod, Herodias and Salome inspired the entire 19th century: from Mallarmé to Gustave Moreau, from Oscar Wilde to Richard Strauss in 1904. Surrounded by exceptional singers (Nicole Car, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Étienne Dupuis, Jean-François Borras) and the Lyon Opera Orchestra and Chorus, after Werther and Manon, Daniele Rustioni concludes the cycle dedicated to Massenet over the last two seasons with his most extravagant work.