We’re finishing our time at Paris’ Theatre des champs—Eylsees with their production of Richard Strauss’ gently romantic comedy of errors “Der Rosenkavalier” on this week’s Sunday Opera (9/14 3:00 p.m.).
Veronique Gens heads the cast as the Marschallin whose loveless marriage has caused her to turn her affections to the young count Octavian (Niamh O’Sullivan) but eventually realizes that their affair cannot possibly last.
Octavian is chosen to be the silver rose bearer (hence the title) and to deliver the rose to Baron Ochs’ (Peter Rose) intended, the young Sophie (Regula Muhlemann).Ochs is the Marschallin’s boorish and impoverished cousin who is an insatiable womanizer and is only marrying Sophie for her father, Faninal’s (Jean-Sebastien Bou), money.
When Octavian arrives with the rose, he immediately falls in love with Sophie setting the scene for intrigues, deceptions, romances, and a bittersweet ending.
Included in the cast are Kresimier Spicer and Eteonore Pancrazi as the Italian troublemakers Valzacchi and Annina who originally try to sell their scandals to the Marschallin but eventually turn their intrigues on Ochs in a trap to release Sophie from their engagement. You’ll also hear from Francesco Demuro as the Italian Opera Singer and Laurene Paterno a Sophie’s duenna.
Henrik Nanasi conducts the Orchestra National de France and Maitrise des Hauts-de-Seine.
Stay tuned after the opera for more music by Richard Strauss as Host Michael Kownacky and two of Strauss’ tone poems. His first was MACBETH, Op. 23 which was initially written in 1885, but it wasn’t well received, and he worked on it through 1888 when he wrote our second tone poem, DON JUAN, Op. 20.The result was that Macbeth has a higher opus number which causes some confusion. MACBETH will be performed by Gerhard Markson leading the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and DON JUAN by Francois-Xavier Roth leading the SWR Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden and Freiburg.
