Arabella – The Metropolitan Opera

Dylan Evans’ revival of Otto Schenk’s masterpiece brings the glamour and enchantment of 19^th Century Vienna back to the Met with Strauss’ elegant romantic lyric comedy in three acts.

Count Waldner (Brindley Sherratt) and his wife, Countess Adelaide Waldner (Karen Cargill) have fallen on hard times, much because of his love of gambling and her loftier aspirations, although a fortune teller (Eve Gigliotti) suggests things may be about to change by marrying their eldest daughter into money.

Unable to afford the expense of marrying off two daughters, the younger one, Zdenka (Louis Alder) has been brought up as a boy, and whilst older sister Arabella (Rachel Willis- Sørensen) is much admired, it in fact Zdenka who has fallen in love with one of her rejected suitors, Matteo (Pavol Breslik).

Arabella repeatedly rejects her parents’ attempts as she wants to marry for love, so when a mysterious stranger, Mandryka (Tomasz Konieczny), arrives from the country, there is an instant attraction, and she happily says goodbye to her girlhood and three suitors – Dominik (Ricardo Jose Rivero), Elemer (Evan LeRoy Johnson), and Lamoral (Ben Brady) – at the Carnival ball.

Burt the course of true love never runs smooth, so when Mandryka overhears Matteo planning to visit Arabella in her private hotel room, we are suddenly hurled towards an unpredictable conclusion.

Günther Schneider-Siemssen’s set design is visually impressive as across three scenes it captures the sumptuousness vanity and pretence at the heart of a capital city with its human-scale realistic interiors, matched by Milena Canonero’s resplendent costumes which are equally befitting of the period with lighting designer Gil Wechsler casting the necessary illumination and shadow across the scenes.

Musically, maestro Nicholas Carter, successfully guides the orchestra through a wealth of lyrical melody perfectly attuned to the demands of the story and characters, with Strauss’ most exalted domains – writing for the soprano voice and for the orchestra – magnificently apparent in the sublime score with just a hint of dissonance reminiscent of his earlier works. The anxiety and tension of the opening scene are captured perfectly before giving way to superb virtuosic classical harmonies.

Strauss’ long-time collaborator, librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal, throws up a different set of challenges to the vocalists, which structured around quarter notes, is more often akin to speaking than singing, along to the beautiful and charming score.

Cargill and Sherratt delight as the naturally bickering parents very much wanting the best for themselves under the guise of their eldest daughter, with strong singing and acting performances.

Breslik delivers a suitably earnest and impassioned army officer coming to terms with the impact on his honour if his advances continue to be rejected, whilst Alder is impressive on her Met debut as the younger sister pretending to be a boy and desperate to bloom into womanhood.

Bass-baritone Konieczny is superb as the dashing count from the country dropped into the modern melting urban pot, with an impressive vocal and acting performance, whilst Willis-Sørensen is compelling as the young noblewoman in search of love on her own terms with her vocal reflecting the charm and innocence of different times. Combined, Willis-Sørensen and Konieczny are the perfect pairing, matched in every sense, and an absolute joy to watch.

A special mention for Julie Roset as the Fiakermilli, belle of the Coachmen’s Ball, who holds her own with some excellent trills.

Reviewer: Mark Davoren

Reviewed: 22^nd November 2025

North West End UK Rating: