Richard Strauss Archives - North West End UK

24Nov

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Arabella – The Metropolitan Opera

Dylan Evans’ revival of Otto Schenk’s masterpiece brings the glamour and enchantment of 19th 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)...

Salome – The Metropolitan Opera

Director Claus Guth gives the biblical story – already filtered through the beautiful and strange imagination of Oscar Wilde’s play – a psychologically perceptive Victorian-era setting, rich in symbolism and subtle shades of darkness, light, and shadow, as Strauss’ one-act tragedy receives its first new production at The Met in twenty years. Narraboth (Piotr Buszewski) admires the princess Salome (Elza van den Heever) and unable to resist her, allows her to descend into the cell holding Jochanaan (Peter Mattei). She is fascinated by the prophet’s body and begs for his kiss, but he rejects her, and she returns to the palace above. Herod (Gerhard Siegel) appears and offers her food and wine, but she refuses. Jochanaan cries out from below against Salome’s mother, Herodias (Michelle DeY...

Der Rosenkavalier – MET Opera Live in HD

Paula Suozzi’s revival of Robert Carsen’s 2017 production, which moved the setting from the cusp of revolution in the 18th century to the brink of World War I in 1911, the year in which it premiered, remains eerily evocative with its tale straddling three generations, the imminent collapse of the old order, the uncertainty of what is to come, and the maturity to accept both. The Marschallin (Lise Davidsen) is having an affair with the young count Octavian (Samantha Hankey) whilst her country cousin, Baron Ochs (Gunther Groissböck) is engaged to Sophie (Erin Morley), the young daughter of a nouveau-riche arms dealer, Faninal (Brian Mulligan). When Ochs meets Octavian, hastily disguised as a chambermaid to avoid discovery, he makes advances towards ‘her’ and the Marschallin is appal...