Read what our audiences had to say about ENO's production of Der Rosenkavalier
Send us your own review to insideout@eno.org
Review from Patricia
The performance of Der Rosenkavalier is still ringing in my ears! What wonderful singing, superb orchestral playing and I loved the production. I was impressed by the emotional enactment of the Janice Watson's performance especially at the moment she let Octavian go. Equally Sarah Connolly's portrayal of their love affair. ENO are on fine form and I can't wait to see Candide and I'm booking my tickets for next season's programme.
Review from Julian
My wife and I saw the ENO Der Rosenkavalier on 31st May. Richard Strauss's Viennese opera Der Rosenkavalier was written as a comedy for music, according to its librettist, Hugo von Hofmannstahl. It was first performed in Dresden in 1911.
While the score contains some of the most glorious music Strauss ever wrote, the text is multi-layered and sophisticated. It tells the story of the young aristocrat Octavian, Count Rofrano ('Quinquin'), who is chosen by his much older lover, the Princess Marie Thérèse Werdenberg, wife of the Feldmarschal, as the Rosenkavalier to present a silver rose - a proposal of marriage - to Sophie, the young daughter of the recently enobled financier, Herr von Faninal, on behalf of the Marschallin's cousin Baron Ochs of Lerchenau. Octavian, who is devoted to the Marschallin, falls in love with Sophie at first sight and the Marschallin ultimately lets him go, with much regret. During the opera's Act III, Octavian masquerades as the Marschallin's maid 'Mariandal', and deceives Baron Ochs into thinking that 'she' can be seduced. The humor of the situation is compounded by the fact that Octavian is played by a woman, a mezzo-soprano.
A good performance of Der Rosenkavalier requires a huge orchestra to negotiate three long Acts, to play the sumptuous waltzes that Strauss embeds in the score seductively. It also makes considerable demands of the singers playing Octavian, the Marschallin, Sophie and Baron Ochs, all of whom must have an abilty to act the text realistically; a tall order in the case of Octavian and Sophie as they are 19 and 16 years of age respectively. Not least, the behavior of the aristicrocy, and the class distinctions between the Marschallin's household and the nouveau riche von Faninal should be contrasted well, since it is all in von Hofmannstahl's text with great effectiveness and subtlety.
The English National Opera's production by David McVicar, originally mounted for Scottish Opera, starts with two major disadvantages. First, the opera is presented in an old English translation by Alfred Kalisch, and not von Hofmannstahl's original German. Much of the depth of the libretto is therefore necessarily lost, and the beauty of the marriage of the German words to the music as written is destroyed. English National Opera's policy is to present all its opera productions in English, but it is the worst kind of compromise with Der Rosenkavalier. Second, the three acts of the opera are all played within the one basic period set, a somewhat run down - albeit realistic - large room in a palace. However, Act II is supposed to take place in von Faninal's palace, which should be contrasted strongly with the Marschallin's bedroom in the preceeding act, and it should be decorated in slightly bad taste, and Act III takes place in an Inn, where Ochs has his assignation with 'Mariandal'.
The Engish translation issue is troublesome. Much of the English used in this version is banal, some of it in bad rhyming couplets. For instance, the dignity and quiet resignation of the Marschallin's condition as she inevitably loses her lover, beautifully covered in the text, is bastardized. Equally the detail of Baron Och's gossiping and his traditionally aristocratic Viennese bearing are handicapped by the words having to be sung in English. The important part of von Faninal, written in a particular working class dialect of Viennese, is also compromised.
All that said, the conductor, orchestra and soloists managed a rewarding performance on this occasion, full of good things. Sarah Connolly was an exceptionally winning Octavian, singing beautifully and acting her difficult love scenes with the Marschallin and Sophie most convincingly. Janice Watson was a trifle underpowered as the Marschallin, but she played the long monologue at the end of Act I as movingly as anyone else in this reviewer's experience. Sarah Tynan made an excellent impression as Sophie, hitting the cruelly high tessitura of the part with accuracy. The vastly experienced John Tomlinson was a solid Baron Ochs, perhaps not quite as convincing as an aristocrat as he should have been, but he brought out all the comedy in the role.
The closing passage of the opera contains the famous trio, written for the Marschalin, Octavian and Sophie. With intesting atmospheric lighting from candles along the floor of the proscenium and strong singing, but in totally the wrong setting scenically, it nearly soared as it should. Edward Gardner, English National Opera's Music Director, while extrememly competent, showed his inexperience in this section with his inattention to the sheer seductiveness and sentimentality of the score. But what a pity about those English words!
Review from Stephen
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES
In the end, Der Rosenkavalier is just a romance. Strauss' and Hofmannsthal's drama may be a thing of epic scale but all of that talent and energy has been lavished on a simple story about a callow youth who transplants his erotic passion for a beautiful older woman into a heroic passion for a beautiful and wealthy young girl who he has saved from the ravages of a lecherous and hard-up baron who is in the business of bartering his nobility for his social-climbing father-in-law's cash. It's soap, really, pure Mills and Boon.
But what soap! Hofmannsthal sets the action in a romanticised 18th century Vienna, ennobling all of his leading characters, and giving them grand houses, opulent carriages, sumptuous clothes, and coteries of servants. The Marschallin's palatial bedroom, which is the setting for the 75-minute first act, is large enough not just to house the enormous bed upon which it's owner and young Octavian are found relaxing in post-coital euphoria at the top of the act, but also to host the Marschallin's daily levee, which is attended by, among others, a lawyer, a hairdresser and a makeup artist, three impoverished ladies, two Italian schemers, said lecherous hard-up baron and his in-bred flunkies, a flutist, and an operatic tenor, all vying tenaciously for the Marschallin's attention and/or funds.
The Marschallin, though only 32 and still ravishing, knows that her best years are behind her, that it is all downhill from here. She feels herself to be withering on the vine, married to a military man who would rather spend his time on long hunting expeditions in Croatia than at home attending to his wife's needs, yet trapped in the gilded cage of her social position. Her hot, secret (to all but the servants) affair with the virile teenage Count Octavian, gives her full-blooded passions the outlet that is denied to her elsewhere; behind the many closed doors of her boudoir she can immerse herself in this romantic fantasy, ecstasy tinged with mounting despair as she knows not only that the affair cannot last long, but that the passing of this last great passion heralds the end of youth and the beginning of the long grey dowager dusk of middle age.
In this four-hour romp there is much laughter - the many deceits and instances of bad behaviour, close shaves and embarrassments keep the amusement level high. There are also tears: of sadness for the Marschallin, of happiness for Sophie and Octavian, and of sheer joy at the extraordinarily blending of female voices in the duets and in the famous Act III trio.
The English National Opera's production (May 24) originated in Scotland, and has clearly been done on a shoe-string budget, particularly compared with well-known past productions such as John Schlesinger's glorious 1980's triumph at the Royal Opera House, the scenic and costuming detail of which was even able to withstand the close scrutiny of television cameras. By contrast, in the ENO production the opulence of the story is barely reflected in the stage settings (one adaptable set was used throughout) and in the costumes (attractive enough, but only suggestive of period and with minimal ornamentation).
But none of that mattered: David McVicar's interpretation of the opera delivered flair, spirit and wonderful music-making, and my potential disbelief was willingly suspended, the absent scenic details happily imagined as I became absorbed in the great big, sad and funny story that is Der Rosenkavalier. With this production ENO proves that it's not all about the money, that craft and sheer energy are the foundation stones of theatre, and that audiences only focus on scenery and costumes when they are bored with what the humans on (and under) the stage are doing.
Suffice to say that there was no danger of that happening with this production. Time does not allow a detailed critique of the individual performances, but every cast member was musically and dramatically outstanding, and the ENO orchestra, under new MD Edward Gardner, played with electrifying pace and excitement, making light work of Strauss' complex and demanding score. Stephen Dee
Review from Peter
ROSENKAVALIER
This had a very strong cast, including Sarah Connolly who made Octavian a very convincing young man, and John Tomlinson, who was spectacular as Ochs. I didn't find the soprano who sang Sophie quite so moving, but I could not point to any technical flaws, and the Marschalin was also sung very feelingly. The production was very traditional Viennese Roccoco, though I was disappointed when the same set was used for each act (tough when you have to look at it for three and a half hours!). In particular, I felt the presentation of the rose lacked glamour and beauty, though Octavian appeared in wonderful silver armour: his duet with Sophie was also not as uplifting as it ought to be. My main quarrel, however, was once again with the opera, which went on too long and in places was noisy and over-wordy. But like Wagner, Strauss has his big emotional moments, and it is these that stuck in my head afterwards.
Review from Katie
Having seen David McVicar's highly acclaimed production of "Der Rosenkavalier" on its most recent revival for Scottish Opera, I wondered beforehand how it would transfer from the comparatively intimate stage of the Theatre Royal, Glasgow to the wide open spaces of the Coliseum. The answer is: very well indeed. The set, with its semicircular apse of panels, opens out from the tight semicircle I saw in Scotland to a gracious ellipse which gives a great sense of space and adapts well to the different locations of the three acts. I just wish that it could be made to look more different for each act, as the basic set looks very plain, and the small changes and additions for each act leave the impression that the Marschallin, Faninal and the Landlord share the same interior decorator! But the beautiful golden glow cast by the lighting and by the sparing but strategically applied gilt ornamentation gives the stage much of the opulent feel that the piece needs. The costumes are opulent, especially the Marschallin's sumptuous gown and stole in the last act, although I wish that she and Sophie did not have such unflattering wigs.
I am impressed by the way McVicar has reworked the production for his almost entirely new cast. There is no sense of the singers having to adapt to the characterisations or business laid down for their often very different predecessors, which often happens with revivals. Everything has been dovetailed to suit ENO's fine cast of singers, and although on the surface the production may appear "conventional" (as opposed to, say, Jonathan Miller's "different", Edwardian-set production for ENO), it is very bold and perceptive in its treatment of the characters. I have never seen a production which so mercilessly dissects exactly why the relationship between the Marschallin and Octavian breaks down at the end of Act 1, nor one which allows the Marschallin to be so outstandingly bitchy in Act 3 - this is not a gracious lady retiring into the shadows, but one who is initially prepared to fight, claws out, to get Octavian back until she is forced to accept that he loves Sophie now. It's a close-run thing, though - he nearly follows her out at the end, and for once one is moved to wonder how long-lasting his commitment to Sophie will be. Will the younger girl end up as another Marschallin, with an absentee husband and a string of lovers? One thing I really don't like is the treatment of the Marschallin's page, who is played by a hefty adult and who obviously knows about the Marschallin's association with Octavian (so why does she have to go to such elaborate lengths to conceal Octavian's presence from him at the beginning of Act 1?). It goes right against the solemn playfulness of the music and the innocence that the character should radiate. But the development of the bit-part of Leopold, Ochs's illegitimate son, into his Leporello-like constant companion in debauchery, is a joy. It not only tells us more about Leopold, it gives a new dimension to Ochs's character because he is shown being close to someone who is a constant in his woman-chasing life - even to the extent of being his dance partner!
McVicar's production uses a much fuller version of the opera than we usually hear in London, and it is good to hear such rarely heard passages as the servants' chorus in Act 2, Ochs's Act 2 monologue (which Sir John Tomlinson attacks like a succulent steak), and much of the give-and-take surrounding the fooling of Ochs and the Kommissar's investigation in Act 3. All of this is pure gain, but it does make for a very long evening.
Sarah Connolly, the only member of the cast who has appeared in this production before, is a mesmerising Octavian, astonishingly right as the coltish, loose-limbed, sulky boy who matures before our eyes, though maybe not as much as he thinks he does. She even convinces as the boy disgused as a pretty girl! I like her high mezzo in this part - I like a soprano Octavian even better, but that's a luxury we don't often get nowadays. Unexpectedly, Janice Watson's creamy soprano sounds a little thin for the Marschallin in a theatre as big as this, but dramatically she has matured from her disappointingly 'flat' characterisation in the last performances of the Miller production to a moving and detailed portrayal which conveys the Marschallin's shifts of mood, from the passionate lover of the opening, through the gracious lady who receives Ochs as a welcome guest with flawless politeness and bubbly charm, to the depressed woman who knows that her relationship with Octavian is doomed (her rendition of the 'clock' monologue is heart-stopping), and to the exquisitely lovely lady of Act 3 who is prepared to fight for her love but, ultimately, must give him up. Even at the last, her final "Oh, yes" is vengefully directed at Octavian. Sarah Tynan is a perfectly lovely Sophie, floating the fiendishly difficult Presentation of the Rose with exquisite grace and mapping the character's transition from obedient little convent girl to "I'm-not-marrying-THAT!" Andrew Shore, luxuriously cast as a permanently panicking Faninal, as always makes the most of his opportunities (when does he not?) and is gloriously touching in his final blessing of Sophie, one of the evening's supreme moments. In the unexplained absence of Dwayne Jones, we had two Lord High Substitutes as the Italian Tenor: first Alfie Boe, then Barry Banks. Boe has the richer tones, but Banks is one of the world's supreme tenor stylists, and gave a gloriously detailed performance which turned the character into an indignant little Meissen shepherd. Delicious! It is good to see a couple of ENO veterans back where they belong: Stuart Kale having a high old time as Valzacchi (a pity Madeline Shaw's Annina was rather uninteresting) and Janice Cairns, singing and (especially) acting a storm as Marianne Leitmetzerin. Return dates for both soon, please. Among the many minor parts, a special word for Nicholas Folwell's stern Kommissar, David Newman's clarion Landlord - you do need a really good, strong lyric voice like this to herald the Marschallin - Harry Ward's lively Leopold, and David Dyer, who has the hardest job of the night - he has to launch the quartet of footmen at the end of Act 1!
I've left the best till last. The incomparable Sir John Tomlinson reminds one that Strauss and Hofmannstahl originally intended to call the opera "Ochs von Lerchenau". In this production that would have been highly appropriate, as this great singer entirely dominates the proceedings whenever he's onstage, and even when he isn't. It is his mighty energy, a life force, which propels the opera onward. He makes the insufferable old boor irresistible, just as he should. The ending of Act 2 is a tour de force. He has sung the role so often that it is second nature to him, and he knows every facet of the character. He combines a dance-like lightness of movement with an edge of danger, especially in Act 3, where his bullying of Sophie gives an uncomfortable warning of what her life would have been like if she had married him, and his final, grimly mocking bow to the Marschallin tells us that he is not finished with her yet - he is out for revenge. It has to be admitted that Sir John 's voice is not quite what it was when he last sang the role here, but in the face of such a colossal portrayal as this, that becomes irrelevant. He dismantles the theatre! This glorious Ochs rounds off a historic season for Sir John. Surely in future years the 2007-2008 operatic season in London will be remembered as "the Tomlinson season".
Edward Gardner conducts with force, wit and style, although the sheer speed at which he takes some sections of the score (especially the Acts 1 and 3 preludes) rob them of their grace, and the level of orchestral mistakes is unacceptably high, probably because they weren't allowed enough rehearsal. No matter. His first season at the helm of this troubled company has raised their game no end, and he has made ENO a force to be reckoned with once again. Long may it continue - and soon may this Rosenkavalier return to delight us. Katie
Review from Gareth
I've just attended an absolutely superb performance of Rosenkavalier tonight (Saturday 7 June), an opera which I love and have watched in half a dozen other, mainly European houses.
This was the best I have seen - sublimely sung, with three very fine soprano leads, an excellent Ochs, and orchestral playing and conducting of the very highest, committed quality.
The only rival that can compare is Kleiber's unmatched Gwyneth Jones performance on DVD in Munich from, I think, '82.
Fulsome thanks to all concerned.
What a pity, then, that, especially for non-native English speakers struggling to make sense of the vocal offerings, and dependent on the surtitles, they had been put together, or at least sub=edited, by someone who had only a slender grip of the English language.
Too many errors to enumerate, but 'breath' for 'breathe' and misplaced or missing apostrophes were just a few of them. Please get the text cleaned up for next time !!
Review from Robin
Dear ENO I keep a diary in which I also record reviews of films and operas I have seen. We saw Der Rosenkavalier last night, and the following is what I recorded in my Diary. (I saw my first ENO Rosenkavalier in 1975 (between the Mastersingers and the Magic Flute, and have seen all your subsequent productions. This was certainly sung as well as any of the others).
Der Rosenkavalier: This was ENO at its best with an interesting but not way out presentation of the greatest of all domestic operas. The huge orchestra was in superb form and played its socks off, not least during the final trio. However I have heard more suggestive preludes, though I suppose there is a limit to how far you can go in a family opera house. The singers too were all in fine voice, and generally well matched, giving an excellent ensemble performance. Janice Watson's Feldmarschallin looked good in bed, and suitably superior in the last act, though seemed somewhat less in command for her levée. Sarah Connolly, who has been around a long time managed the 17¼ year old Octavian much better than I expected: from where we were she and sounded reasonably convincing. High spot of the evening was of course John Tomlinson, straight from the Minotaur, as Baron Ochs. He thoroughly enjoyed himself, though I feared there was more English high spirits to his antics than Austrian boorishness; possibly he wasn't dour enough. Sarah Tynan's Sopie went straight from the young girl eagerly anticipating marriage and being the good wife, to shock-horror, what are they letting me in for, when she first sees Ochs, without missing a beat. The clothes were all properly matched to the period and the class, though again Ochs could have been more down at heel, given his financial position. Octavian's silver armour for the Presentation of the Rose was properly dazzling. The two Italian conspirators were well defined, which is necessary so they stand out on a crowded stage, though Annina's beauty spot on her bosom looked as though it would soon kill her. The Italian singer deserved more than the one clap he got from Ochs.
It was essentially a single set with a wall at the back as you would expect in a palace of that period, with doors set in rather than in frames. One patch of wall, where a pillar appeared to have been removed, showed flaky plaster. The significance of this eluded me. There were no windows in the wall, so one assumed the audience provided these. However, it meant the set was another for saving on electricity. There were suitably sumptuous curtains and swatches on the proscenium and around the sides.
As to the drama, the whole thing is really quite repugnant, with the 33 year old Feldmarschallin in bed with Octavian, her 17¼ year old lover, her elderly husband being away hunting in Croatia (hunting Croatians? - not sure). Ochs barges in demanding her support for the ceremony of the rose, which he has to have presented to his young bride-to-be, Sophie. Octavian hurriedly hides, and reappears as a maid, Mariandel, to whom Ochs takes a fancy. The Feldmarschallin promises that her cousin, Octavian, will act as the Rosenkavalier. After her levee, she sends Octavian away, realising their relationship cannot last, but then relents, but it is too late - he has left. In Act II Sophie eagerly awaits her husband to be. Von Faninal, her father, is nouveau riche and the deal is that Sophie gets a title and Ochs gets his debts paid off. In one sense she is a lamb to the slaughter, though in fact the deal would have long term advantages to both families, not least in the titles and position the children will have. It could be argued that Sophie's disgust at Ochs is a small price to pay for long term advantages. He will die before she does (unless she contracts any of his diseases), and she will be better able to choose her future lovers. Unfortunately, at first sight of Octavian, she falls for him. Ochs regards this as puppy love and all the better for breaking her in before he gets his hands on her. Octavian plans to expose Ochs and in the final act, dressed as Mariandel, goes off to supper with him. Confusion then reigns and the police are called, as well as von Faninal and Sophie, to be disgusted yet again. A public scandal is avoided by the appearance of the Feldmarschallin, who takes command, send the police away, and tells Ochs that if he, as a Chevalier, is thinking of her and Octavian, he had better stop thinking. Quickly. Ochs sees the funny side and leaves. The Feldmarschallin then tells Octavian to go off with Sophie, and tells von Faninal not to object. At first Octavian is confused, but then accepts the situation: his hesitation not being very kind on Sophie. Everybody then leaves the stage, Sophie dropping her handkerchief. The music dies away, then the Feldmarschallin's black page boy, this time a black page man, comes in picks up the handkerchief, sniffs it, turns and bows to the audience as the curtain falls.
I think it would help to understand these shenanigans if one had a better acquaintance with the Almanac de Gotha, not least in the relative ranks of Baron Ochs and Octavian, Count Rofrano. I would have thought a count rated higher than a baron, though it might be that Octavian's title is only a courtesy one until he inherits from his father, assuming he is alive. Robin I Morgan
Review from Honor
Being only 15 this is my first time seeing 'Der Rosenkavalier' - I enjoyed it so much.
I thought the music was lovely; slightly eerie at times but I think that is what Strauss does! The characters were all well upheld, especially The Marschallin, and Baron Ochs! The singing was just lovely - especially the end duet from Sophie and Octavian. The only slight disappointment was perhaps the set...
But I would highly recommend this sparkling opera with a good mix of humour, romance, tragedy and excitement! Many thanks H. Bulmer
Review from Prue
What a delight - even from the dizzy heights of the balcony we could appreciate this marvellous production. Everything about it was first class, from the splendid orchestral sound and the excellent singing to the meticulous details of the staging and action. Thank you and, most of all, a huge thank you for the surtitles which make such an enormous difference to the enjoyment of any opera in any language. So much easier not to have to struggle to decipher the words if you are not familiar with the finer points of the plot and of course it makes it so much more fun if you can understand the jokes and little asides. Hooray - please keep the surtitles going! P. Scurfield
Review from Louise
I was at last night's performance of Der Rosenkavalier and I just wanted to thank you all for a really wonderful and sublime evening.
I cannot describe how enchanted I was with the production - I sobbed my way through the finale much to the embarrassment of the people in the row behind who must have spotted my shoulders heaving!
I knew Der Rosenkavalier's 'highlights' from an old recording my father had of Schwarzkopf doing her unbelievable stuff - but I didn't actually know the opera well. I am so grateful to all the musicians and technical crew involved that my first experience of this wonderful opera was last night's ENO production.
Thank you again and again and good luck to everyone for the rest of the run. With kind regards Louise John, SW18.
Review from Jim
Der Rosenkavalier, ENO, 22nd May 2008
First of all, a confession; I love Der Rosenkavalier. It is, I know, a freak of nature, a one-off. Written in a retro-romantic style at the very height of the modernist movement, it now seems curiously post-modern as seen through the wrong-end telescope of history, the proto-postmodernist Strauss having lived through and disregarded a library full of grand narratives.
It is the ultimate opera, a homage to all that Strauss admired. Set in the pre-revolutionary age of Mozart the lead character, Octavian is, like Cherubino in Figaro, a "breeches" role. Even more in common with Figaro, there is conspiracy of entrapment (Count/Baron) through a clandestine letter. Octavian, in common with Wagner's Tristan, falls in love with the woman that he is employed to deliver in marriage to another and, like Meistersinger Hans Sachs, the Marschellin shows the depth of her love by relinquishing her desires to give way to the mutual attraction of youth. The last time that I saw this opera was a few years ago at Covent Garden, the late John Schlesingers' sumptuous production with extravagant sets and a feeling of mock-baroque that served up the opera as written. The ENO version is more sparse, a single set is thinly disguised for the three separate settings, mansions of one-time opulence but where the paintwork is now fading and on which rising damp stains the walls, decay symbolic of the effect that the enlightenment is about to take on the comfortable conservatism of the pampered classes (or was this just an excuse to cut costs and I am reading something that David McVicar had not intended?).
But that is just the look of it. Let's face it, opera would seldom stand up well as entertainment were it not for the depth of music that supported the thinness of drama. This Rosenkavalier was not the best I have heard, but it was very good. Edward Gardner's conducting was good if a little restrained and the orchestra, as ever, responded well. The singing and acting were charming throughout; Janice Watson's Marschellin being particularly convincing and Sarah Connolly clearly enjoying herself in the range of physical and vocal characterisation. John Tomlinson, who I last saw as Wotan, was the perfect combination of fine voice and uncouth manner, a sort of late Falstaff whose world has disappeared and he is the last to realise it. Sarah Tynan brought a suitable sweetness of voice to Sophie, growing from the virginal sacrifice of Act 2 to the mixed emotional maturity of Act 3.
The final judgement? You have heard my confession and, so long as the Act 3 trio is played and sung well enough for I would probably enjoy any production of Der Rosenkavalier. It was and I did. All the same there was much else to commend this performance and, although in an art as complex as opera it is sometimes difficult to know just why one night pleases and another does not, this one was certainly a pleasure. Jim Grover, © 23/05/08
