Der Rosenkavalier (DVD)

Introduction

I have always been a huge fan of opera - ever since the day a group of us were given a day's parole from grammar school and bussed to the old Glyndebourne Opera house to see Beethoven's "Fidelio". So I guess it is only logical that I often spend time trying to persuade friends and acquaintances to share my own operatic favourites: either dragging them along to performances or lending CDs and DVDs. Unfortunately ...
...plots" as they describe them. Well, yes, I do have to put my hand on my heart and admit that many operatic plots are a little far-fetched, but no more so than any movie such as "I am Legend" where Will Smith and a mangy German Shepherd in dire need of some Frontline treatment and a tin of Pedigree Chum manage to save Manhattan from a zombie invasion... Hmm. I guess all things are relative!?

Anyway, once you get around ... more

Introduction

I have always been a huge fan of opera - ever since the day a group of us were given a day's parole from grammar school and bussed to the old Glyndebourne Opera house to see Beethoven's "Fidelio". So I guess it is only logical that I often spend time trying to persuade friends and acquaintances to share my own operatic favourites: either dragging them along to performances or lending CDs and DVDs. Unfortunately many people seem to be put off by the "crazy plots" as they describe them. Well, yes, I do have to put my hand on my heart and admit that many operatic plots are a little far-fetched, but no more so than any movie such as "I am Legend" where Will Smith and a mangy German Shepherd in dire need of some Frontline treatment and a tin of Pedigree Chum manage to save Manhattan from a zombie invasion... Hmm. I guess all things are relative!?

Anyway, once you get around the issue of people singing most of the time, I have to say that the vast majority of operatic plots do deal with situations that are actually very realistic in terms of human nature - love, treachery, war, ambition, envy etc - and this is definitely the case with Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier" ("The Rose Kavalier".) The main aspect which has to be explained right at the start is that the character of Octavian - a male - is sung by a woman. Why? Because he is supposed to be only 17 years old and having a middle-aged tenor just wouldn't cut it dramatically. For me it is no different from the female Principal Boy in pantomimes.

Richard Strauss wrote the opera to a libretto by his long-time collaborator Hugo von Hofmannsthal and it was premiered in Dresden in 1911, ever since then it has enjoyed huge popularity, always maintaining a place in the standard opera house repertory around the world. There are several top notch recordings of the piece, as well as a handful of DVDs, but this particular DVD stands out as a "must buy" for anyone wanting to add the opera to their DVD collection, or indeed to rent as a great introduction to a very special opera.

Plot:

This is a really truncated and simplified description of the plot, simply to relate it to the production values of this particular DVD. There is an absolutely first class synopsis of the story in the accompanying brochure to this DVD which is probably the best and clearest summary that I've come across - providing lots of detail and I'd definitely recommend anyone coming new to the opera to read it before watching the DVDs.

In a nutshell:l the opera is set in Vienna in the 1740s, we have the Marschallin (sung in this production by Felicity Lott) who is a rich, married noblewoman in her 30s whose field marshal husband is away with the military. She's having an illicitly dangerous affair with a 17 year old aristocrat - Octavian (Anne Sofie von Otter.) One morning after a passionate night together, they are considering their situation and it becomes apparent that there is tension in the relationship due to Octavian's wish for more and the Marschallin's obvious worry about being discovered. The arrival of the Marschallin's distant relative Baron von Ochs (Kurt Moll) means Octavian has to disguise himself as a chamber-maid called Mariandel. Ochs is your stereotypical "relative from Hell" - boorish, boring, indiscreet, randy, self-important - the kind of guy you'd hide from at any party. He has come to tell the Marschallin that he is getting married and he needs her to find him a young man who can deliver the Silver Rose to his fiancée as tradition requires. Mind you, this doesn't stop him flirting with the disguised Mariandel! The Marschallin suggests Octavian as the "Rosenkavalier".

Next comes the Marschallin's morning meetings where she receives everyone from a hairdresser to an animal seller and of course a young tenor who sings the famous aria "De rigori amato il seno" about how futile it is to resist the charms of Cupid - which is going to prove rather ironic later on. Everyone eventually departs and one of the most moving parts of the opera has the Marschallin lamenting the fact that she is getting old, losing her looks and will ultimately lose Octavian. Octavian returns, she tells him he will one day find someone younger and prettier...

Act Two switches to the nouveau riche household of Baron Ochs' intended fiancée Sophie van Faninal (Barbara Bonney.) Everyone is getting ready for the arrival of the Rosenkavalier, we sense how important it is for her father and for Sophie. Octavian arrives, and when he meets Sophie for the first time to present the Silver Rose, romantic sparks fly between them. When Baron Ochs then sets foot in the house there is quite a kerfuffle as Sophie realises how dreadful he is!

With the help of two intriguers who'd been at the Marschallin's morning meeting trying to sell her scandal sheets (think News of the World journalists!) Octavian sets a trap for Baron Ochs where he is duped by a note from Mariandel (alias Octavian in female disguise) setting up a romantic rendezvous in a Viennese inn. Mariandel/Octavian leads him on but unfortunately for Ochs his fumbling romantic endeavours are interrupted by children pretending to be his and a "wife" accusing him of bigamy - Sophie and her father arrive, von Faninal realises Ochs is definitely not the type of guy he wants his daughter marrying and then - to cap it all off - the Marschallin enters the inn having been summoned for help by Ochs manservant. Being a pretty astute woman, she realises that her lover Octavian has finally found someone his own age who will be far better suited to him, so she essentially removes Ochs from the scene and wth a great deal of personal heartache gives the two young lovers her personal blessing before leaving them alone to enjoy their new happiness.

Production and Performers:

As one can probably gather from the above MUCH simplified synopsis, it IS quite a complicated plot, but this production by the renowned Austrian theatre director Otto Schenk, makes it comparatively easy to follow the action. Whilst opera productions taking a radical view can be exciting, I really feel that if one is getting to know a new work, particularly one of this complexity it is best to stick with a traditional approach. Schenk and his designer brilliantly encapsulate the contrasts between the expensive but slightly worn stately home appearance of the Marschallin's house, to the extravagant and rather over the top decoration of the nouveau riche Faninal household and finally the denouement in the unmistakeably insalubrious surroundings of a shabby, down-market Viennese inn! The detail of the set design is beautifully done and comes over vividly in this DVD which is filmed in the renowned Vienna State Opera house. Views of the house before the performance starts really set the adrenalin going for any opera junkie such as myself!

Naturally the highlights of the DVD are the performers. Whenever one sees the name Carlos Kleiber listed as conductor, one knows that the musical standards are going to be at the highest possible level, even more so when he is conducting a band such as the Vienna State Opera Orchestra (which is essentially the totally unbeatable Vienna Philharmonic.) That proves to be the case with this opera performance. Richard Strauss writes lush, romantic and frequenty very fully scored music for a huge orchestra of more than 114 players including an offstage band, yet under the baton of Carlos Kleiber one never feels that the singers are overwhelmed, even though he will unleash the full power of the orchestra whenever it is needed. In this production he gets an amazingly detailed response from the players, one can really hear the subtle intricacies of this highly complex music!

Having studied this particular score, I can also say that unlike some conductors of "Der Rosenkavalier" Kleiber sticks meticulously to the composer's written intentions, never allowing the music to wallow in sickly sweet romanticism which is the deathknell to any Rosenkavalier production. Needless to say, being set in Vienna, Richard Strauss uses the waltz form extensively in this opera and Kleiber makes the most of the stylistic excellence of the Vienna Philharmonic to point up the different characteristics of the various waltzes used - i.e. sardonic and mocking when accompanying Baron Ochs. It is worth noting that at the start of the opera (when the orchestra vividly portrays the lovemaking of Octavian and the Marschallin with erotically whooping horns) and at the beginning of the 3rd act we are able to watch Kleiber's conducting for a few minutes, a revealing and nice bonus for anyone who appreciates seeing a world class maestro at work.

Simply looking at the cast-list of the singers on this DVD, one knows that the vocal production values are going to be top-notch. Bonney and Lott were at the top of their careers when this DVD was filmed and Kurt Moll has for many years been THE No. 1 Ochs on the world operatic stage. But it isn't just the quality of the singing: especially in such intense moments as the famous presentation of the Silver Rose by Octavian to Sophie - the acting is just superb, with real emotion in the singer's faces. Or one might also pick out the teenage exuberance exhibited by Sophie (Bonney) as she awaits the arrival of the Rosenkavalier, or for me - the huge highlight of the whole opera is the final trio between the Marschallin, Sophie and Octavian - where not only do their voices blend together perfectly musically, but also their varying emotions are wonderfully expressed. Felicity Lott portrays a poignant Marschallin who expresses vividly her realisation of age creeping up on her and how it will lose her the puppy-love of Octavian, her solo musings at the end of the first act are truly heartbreaking. Anne Sophie von Otter makes a very convincing teenage boy, she captures the essence of her character brilliantly and also "matures" throughout the opera so we can see her character realising he has moved onto a more lasting and "grown up" relationship with Sophie than he had with the Marschallin.

I've always been an advocate of having singers who can "act" properly and one of the main reasons why this is my top DVD choice for "Der Rosenkavalier" is that the acting quality is undeniably first rate. I have to say that my favourite character is Kurt Moll as Baron Ochs. He treads that fine line between good acting and caricature perfectly. You cringe at Ochs' antics as the bachelor male relative from Hell, yet he doesn't go so far as to make himself unlikeable. At the end you are compelled to feel a little sympathy for him as he is humiliated in the inn by Mariandel/Octavian and her collaborators, and I think that's what Richard Strauss would have intended.

In an opera where interaction between the characters is so vital, I especially like the way in which TV director Horant Hohlfeld has successfully managed the difficult balance between close-up shots with the wider perspective shots. Obviously it is good to sometimes see the whole stage to get a visual impact of the setting, yet I feel in this DVD production that at the moments of emotional importance and intensity, we as the viewer are always able to observe the characters in detail - something which gives a great advantage over going to the opera house in person - unless you've got good opera glasses!

DVD features:

The stereo sound quality of the DVD is excellent, particularly given that it is recorded in an opera house - the recording took place in 1994. As already mentioned the visual quality is also first class - and I notice that the DVDs have been produced using High Definition TV technology, though since I don't have an HD television I can't comment personally on that aspect, but it might be of interest to those who do possess HDTVs. I do recommend linking up your TV to your hi-fi speakers and ramping up the volume in order to get the best out of this musical performance!

The opera is spread over 2 discs with a very sensible break after the 1st Act. There are optional subtitles in German (the original language of the opera,) English, French, Spanish and Chinese, but apart from this, there are no further extras on the DVDs - which I've found is the norm for opera DVDs. The brochure is of a very high quality, with some nice photos of the main protagonists, an excellent synopsis and a useful track-listing if you want to listen to particular sections - decent tracking is not always the case in opera DVDs so another big plus-point here.

Conclusion:

A perfect 5 star choice for anyone building a library of opera DVDs, you can't go wrong with this Rosenkavalier. It is opulent, moving, funny and beautifully played, performed and acted. Prices online vary considerably and I've seen some great "used" deals on Amazon in particular if you are looking for a bargain. Additionally, although as a musician I have strong reservations about the copyright issues, you can find small extracts of this recording on YouTube if you want a little "taster" before buying.

I'd also recommend that if one is coming to this opera without any prior knowledge of it - use the English subtitles and watch one act at a time with breaks to absorb the performance... I only personally really got my head around everything that was going on plot-wise when I was able to watch the opera being rehearsed by a friend of mine, so taking it in a chunk at a time is a really good move which will enhance one's enjoyment of this wonderful and still very relevant masterpiece. Highly recommended. 

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