My, my Santa Fe Opera, you have outdone yourself, and that is quite a feat! Oddly, despite its popularity, I had not seen a live production of Der Rosenkavalier (1909) by composer Ricard Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal, a team that had a run of big opera hits; I had seen Ariadne auf Naxos and Elektra by this team. Somehow the snippets of Der Rosenkavalier I had seen in videos had not created an urgency in me to travel to take it in. I did watch online more than once the first act with Renee Fleming in a Met Opera production; who wouldn’t watch Ms. Fleming? The story line of that act had a sweet, bittersweet element of human truth and some appealing comedic touches, but Baron Ochs’ bluster seemed a bit much. Impressions can be misleading. Well, I wanted to see the world premiere of SFO’s The Righteous, and seeing Der Rosenkavalier would be a good excuse for staying a few more days in Santa Fe. This report is tempered by my wife’s response to the opera. I rated the performance as merely spectacular, but my wife rated it higher for its emotional depth. I will explain.
The Marschallin (Rachel Willis-Sørensen) alone in her bed chamber. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
Der Rosenkavalier is a four-hour comedic opera including intermissions; if that had worried me, I could have left after the first act and still called it a win. As I expected, SFO’s performance was sweet, bittersweet in both story and music, with impressive singers and an artistic set and staging as a bonus, and a surprisingly likeable Baron Ochs, who is very dis-likable; a quite good opera but not gripping for me (yet quite gripping for my wife). Leaving was never a question, and if I had left, I would have missed some of the most enjoyable opera that I have seen and one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever witnessed on stage.
A troubled Marschallin (Rachel Willis-Sørensen) and a pleading Octavian (Paula Murrihy). Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
Let me back up a bit and tell you more about the story, with spoilers: there are four main characters and a cast of thousands…well, 31 named stage performers listed in the program. The Marschallin, a mature (34 years-old) Princess and wife of the Field Marshal is having an affair with seventeen-year-old Count Octavian and struggling with a rising belief that he will eventually leave her for a younger woman. Baron Ochs auf Lerchnau, a relative, shows up wanting the Marschallin to name a bearer of the rose (rosenkavalier) to take a silver rose to his betrothed, fifteen-year-old Sophie, as is the custom; well, you can see what’s coming. Also, the Baron is a mix of Don Giovanni and Falstaff which adds another complication; his unexpected arrival has caused Octavian to disguise himself as a maid, who then becomes an object of the Baron’s lustful pursuit. In Act 2, Octavian, still deeply attached to the Marschallin, presents the silver rose to Sophie and they fall in love. A couple of shady detectives for hire reveal this scene to the Baron. Defending Sophie’s choice, Octavian nicks the Baron in a sword duel. Sophie’s father wanting to buy into nobility through the arranged marriage to the Baron takes the side of the Baron and declares the marriage will go forward. In Act 3, a very funny plot unfolds, with Octavian, as the maid, exposing the Baron for what he is and causing him to exit when the Marschallin intercedes. She and Octavian and Sophie must then confront who will wind up with whom; polyamory was not an accepted thing at that time.
Baron von Ochs (Matthew Rose) pursuing Octavian disguised as a maid (Paula Murrihy). Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
Later as I reflected on this production, it struck me that for Der Rosenkavalier the director and the singers matter a lot in a story where strong feelings of depth and subtlety must be exposed within a mad cap comedy; try to imagine a Marx brothers’ version of “Casablanca”. Fortunately, SFO chose well. Mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy as Octavian was the first of the major characters to appear on stage. Yes, Octavian is a pants role, which adds humor when the singer dons a dress to disguise herself as a woman. Ms. Murrihy sang and acted impressively as both a Count caught in a love triangle and as a maid eluding, then tricking her would be seducer. Even though Octavian has the most time on stage in the opera, the Marshallin commands both Act 1 and the end of Act 3. SFO’s Marshallin was soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen who was an SFO apprentice in 2010, and this season also plays Donna Anna in the later debuting Don Giovanni. She sang beautifully with tender emotion and carried herself regally, an excellent Marschallin in a believable pairing with Ms. Murrihy.
l to r in foreground: Baron von Ochs (Matthew Rose), Sophie (Ying Fang), Herr von Faninal (Zachary Nelson), and Marianne Leitmetzerin (Kathryn Henry) dealing with a reluctant Sophie. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
The surprise delight of the evening for me was baritone Matthew Rose as the Baron; he sang well, although much of his singing had so many words it sounded like dialog. Somehow, he played this boorish, totally self-centered lecher with such naturalness and in such an amusing fashion that my admiration for the performance made it hard for me to dislike his character; the Baron simply assumed that anyone in his lofty status would do exactly what he did; can you blame a rat for being a rat, especially one that’s funny? Knowing that soprano Ying Fang is in a production, makes it more likely I will attend, and her performance as Sophie validated that position. Her vocals, especially in the duet with Octavian and the trio adding the Marschallin were highlights of the opera and likely of the SFO season, in fact, any season.
Sophie (Ying Fang) seeing Count Octavian (Paula Murrihy) for the first time. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
The supporting performances were also excellent, and I will mention three. First, lyric baritone Zachary Wilson as Herr von Faninal was well sung and well played as the comedic stereotype of the status hungry father willing to sacrifice his young daughter for social climbing. Another standout performance was mezzo-soprano Megan Marino as Annina, one of the shady detectives, well sung and well played. Finally, tenor David Portillo gave an excellent musical portrayal of the Italian singer. That Santa Fe Opera can employ a singer of Mr. Portillo’s stature in such a minor role is impressive.
photo 1: Annina (Megan Marino) connives with Baron von Ochs (Matthew Rose). photo 2: The Italian singer (David Portillo) performs. Photos by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
Composer Strauss’ music is mostly pleasant, romantic drawing room comedy music in the first Act, but for Acts 2 and 3, he stepped up his game, and the music became highly expressive for the characters and action on stage. The Santa Fe Orchestra, a large orchestra, was led by acclaimed Conductor Karina Canellakis; she is currently the Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Led by Maestro Canellakis, the orchestra’s playing was a pleasure all evening, lively, expressive, and nuanced while supporting but not overwhelming the singers. The Chorus under the direction of Chorus Master Susanne Sheston performed well.
Sophie (Ying Fang) and Octavian (Paula Murrihy) and the Marschallin (Rachel Willis-Sørensen) must deal with their issues. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
This elegant cast and beautiful music were matched, and maybe occasionally surpassed, by the outstanding staging by Director Bruno Ravella. The opera was set forward to the 1950s but still felt like Vienna of the 18th century. The sets and scenic design were extraordinary. The Marshallin’s chamber and the Faninal ballroom were evocative of nobility and gorgeous; kudos to Scenic and Costume Designer Gary McCann; the costumes were also extraordinary. Lighting by Lighting Designer Malcolm Rippeth was well done, adding emotional depth of its own. The rendezvous room in a brothel for Act 3 was cleverly designed with an in-wall bed and trap doors; the room was assembled for viewing in front of the audience during the second intermission.
Octavian (Paula Murrihy) and Sophie (Ying Fang) are together. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
The beginning of Act 2 was special, first with beautifully attired servants scurrying about, and then, with the entrance of Count Octavian and his duet with Sophie. I was immersed in one of the most beautiful moments in opera that I have experienced, now on a short list of transcendent experiences. The staging for Act 3 with its fast-paced comedy of jokes as characters popped in and out, each carrying a message, was an absolute hoot. I found the final scene with the Marschallin, Octavian, and Sophie to be affecting, understated and paced in a way that lay their hearts and souls out for everyone to see. My wife said it created such strong emotion it hurt. Director Ravella employed a young boy (Maxmilian Moore) to play Cupid who popped up at times along the way reminding us this was a comedy about love; his was an appropriately charming performance.
Cupid (Maximillian Moore) observes all. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
I hope I have conveyed to you that Santa Fe Opera’s production of Der Rosenkavalier is spectacular, even spectacular plus, with lovely singing, beautiful music, extraordinary staging, laugh out loud comedy, plus great emotional depth. The speaker at the pre-opera talk likened the Marschallin/Octavian coupling to Tristan and Isolde. The impetuosity of youth keeps me from going there, but my wife counters that our first true love can be very intense. Ok, but then Sophie comes along. I will grant that the last twenty minutes with the trio and then the duet of Octavian and Sophie is about as emotionally compelling as it gets, heavy with the conflict between what is desired and what must be.
Excuse me, I see Cupid is beckoning you to attend. Are you game?
The Fan Experience: Santa Fe Opera scheduled performances of Der Rosenkavalier on July 20, 24, August 2, 8, 15. The opera is sung in German with subtitles in English and Spanish provided on individual screens on the backs of seats. The performance I attended on July 20 lasted four hours plus, including a 20 and a 35-minute intermission. During the long intermission as the final set was assembled on stage, SFO provided free coffee and tea for all attendees.
Many attendees arrive early for the excellent opera talks one and two hours before the performance. The talk I attended for Der Rosenkavalier was provided by Oliver Prezant. Attending his insightful lecture, delivered in a humorous style, had me much better prepared to understand and enjoy the opera – highly recommended.
The Crosby Theatre of the Santa Fe Opera, which seats about 2,000 patrons is an open-air structure on each side and at the back of the stage. The design is modern and attractive. Sunsets and thunderstorms become part of the opera experience. See SFO’s detailed and helpful website for information on food/dining options available and for directions, and their performance schedule for the remainder of the summer.
In general, the SFO patrons were dressed in a casual style. There is a tailgating tradition at SFO, some astonishingly elegant. Bring a sweater or light jacket; Santa Fe is seven thousand feet above sea level; nights can be chilly even in July and August, and breezes flowing through the opera house can make it feel cooler.