The fictive opera Salammbô

Kane’s second wife, Susan, is a singer, a bad one though. Refusal of failure, of proving a point, features of Kane’s power, are being projected on Susan.
It is interesting here, how the music which Herrmann composed especially for the scene, becomes the actual subjest in the picture.
He composed one recitativo and aria, especially to fit the character of Susan.
He exaggerates the sopranovoiceline by ending it on a high D, which is extremely high. He also orchestrated so full and heavy, that the voice is naturally drowned.
Herrmann has provided Susan with music that makes her limited voice and artistic lack even more obvious.
The lyrics are from Racine’s "Phèdre", where the heroin begs her lover to kill her to free her from shame. It reflects what happens in the film where Susan is so ashamed of herself because she realizes the audiences despise her, that she does a suicide attempt. It is something Kane doesn’t accept and tells her, on her recoverybed, to fight the audiences.

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