THE Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra began its new season with sex, death, hubris and zealotry in a production of Richard Strauss' Salome at the Lighthouse last night.

Aided by an international array of gifted singers, and under the baton of principal conductor Kirill Karabits, the orchestra delivered an assured performance of the 1905 opera - based on the play by Oscar Wilde.

This tale of dark desire, incest and murder is conveyed in music through a series of motifs in the manner of Wagner, and blends broad Romantic melodies with more abstract and chromatic harmonies and occasionally raucous rhythms. It was the perfect showcase of the BSO's versatility on the eve of a new run of concerts.

While the Lighthouse Concert Hall does not have the ideal acoustic for operatic performances, well thought out staging using the small amount of space around the orchestra both allowed the singers to shine and created a surprisingly satisfying visual performance.

American soprano Lise Lindstrom was mesmerising in the title role, demonstrating her widely-acclaimed dramatic soprano. Her performance was a gripping piece of operatic acting switching smoothly between girlish petulance and an unsettling calm.

Baritone James Rutherford sang a vigorous John the Baptist, while tenor Kim Begley, as Herod, was a commanding presence on stage.

In fact, the excellence of all the singers was a key element in the success of the production as lesser performers might well have been drowned out during the more dramatic passages.

Nevertheless in a piece with such a thrilling and exotic musical score it was a pleasure to hear the orchestra with such clarity.

The concert was justly well received by a packed audience with a standing ovation for the principal soloists.