The original play "Salomé" was written by Oscar Wilde in November and December 1891 in French. Hedwig Lachmann translated the play into German. Richard Strauss saw the play and decided in 1902 to make an opera out of it. The opera was first performed in Dresden in December 1905. "The Dance of the Seven Veils" is a famous excerpt from the opera. It is sometimes performed in concerts.