©2011 Am Ang Zhang
Nathaniel Merrill’s 1969 production of
Strauss’s “Rosenkavalier” is the oldest in the Metropolitan Opera’s repertory. Its opulent
Rococo sets, furnished with loving historical details, have played home to
singers including Christa Ludwig, Tatiana Troyanos and Luciano Pavarotti. And
yet Friday evening’s season premiere with a wonderful cast — many singing these
roles for the first time at the Met — felt utterly fresh. Witty, elegant and
profoundly moving, the production continues to be an excellent vehicle for
Strauss’s reflection on the impermanence of the human existence and love’s
power to nevertheless make us believe in eternity.
The
production was full of small details that shone with the care and attention
that had evidently been lavished on them. From the hilarious performance of
James Courtney as a Notary to Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke’s set piece as
Valzacchi that had both the ringing high notes and the stilted preening
necessary. Ysai Huebner was charming as Mohammed, the Marschallin’s servant,
his mute gestures finely coordinated with the music.
The
revival marks the 100th anniversary of this opera’s first Met performance. The
dramatic coherence and artistic integrity made it feel new.
The New York Times
Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Strauss’s magnificent score, likewise, works on several levels, combining the refinement of Mozart with the epic grandeur of Wagner. The result is a unique achievement: a grand opera that is as vast and complex as it is humane and charming.
Strauss’s magnificent score, likewise, works on several levels, combining the refinement of Mozart with the epic grandeur of Wagner. The result is a unique achievement: a grand opera that is as vast and complex as it is humane and charming.
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