With the many fine voices and the cast's strong acting skills, coupled with insightful stage direction, the gripping production doesn't merely engage the audience — it seizes its attention throughout the opera, which runs under two hours without intermission.

One of Strauss' many wonderful gifts as a composer was an ability to draw subtle sonorities out of a large orchestra. The subtleties are here in this opera as well; but too often Strauss also throws so much heavy brass and percussion at the singers that it would be almost impossible for every note to be heard clearly while still following the score's directions.

Add to the acoustic challenge the impossibly wide ranges of the vocal writing. Sudden swoops from high notes to low notes make for many instances when it appears those on stage are actually pantomiming. On Friday, conductor Ivan Tors didn't seem to want to make any concessions to the singers in this regard.

Despite these flaws in balance, Strauss' writing advances the plot in bold, powerful strokes, and the talented members of the cast threw themselves unstintingly into the tumult Friday night.

In the title role, Kristine Ciesinski's powerful soprano voice slithers and wheedles as Salome vainly attempts to seduce John the Baptist.

Also impressive, Kenneth Riegel as Herod, Salome's lecherous stepfather, brings his renowned tenor to bear on some of the more difficult writing of the score. Rie gel's dramatic work on Friday was enthralling.

As Herodias, Salome's mother, Ruthild Engert creates a thoroughly convincing portrait of evil, and her mezzo voice often had the best luck in cutting through the orchestra's artillery barrage. David A. Okerlund's John the Baptist character bristled with righteous authority, helped along immensely by his wonderfully rich baritone voice.

Other voices were more than up to the task in smaller roles. James Cornelison (as Narraboth) and Dorothy Byrne (as Herodias's page) got the action off to a good start, while Phillip Skinner and Leon Williams worked well together as the two soldiers.

Doug Jones, Eric Van Hoven, Les Ceballos, Marc Molomot and Jamie Offenbach gelled dramatically as the Jewish officials, but some of the heaviest brass and percussion writing comes when all five are singing and this greatly diminished their volume.

John Mount and Laurence Paxton both did good vocal and dramatic work as the two Nazarenes.

Henry G. Akina's deft stage direction and Thomas Woodruff's incredibly creative costumes and scenery brought just the right visual dimension to this engrossing production.