San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist) by Alessandro Stradella is the Baroque version of the Salome story, which is perhaps the most profane story in the New Testament. In it, the princess Salome, at the behest of her mother, demands the head of St. John the Baptist in return for services rendered to her stepfather Herod, the King of Judea. (Whether those services were a dance or something more intimate depends on which version of the story you read).

Stradella’s opera was composed in 1675, 230 years before the story was immortalized by Richard Strauss, and 10 years before the birth of Bach, Scarlatti, and Handel. In fact, Handel was so struck by the brilliance of Stradella's score, he purchased a copy for his personal collection. Plus, the role of Salome was the first professional role sung by a young Maria Callas. Though composed as an oratorio, Catapult Opera’s production of San Giovanni Battista will be the American stage premiere of this masterpiece.