Opera on 3: Der Rosenkavalier ROH 14th Jan

[Prommer]

Anyone yet tuned in?

[gradus]

I listened to Act 1 but missed the remainder apart from bits of Act 2 on the car radio - everyone sounded in splendid voice with a particularly good account of the Italian tenor's aria, not an acid-test for the performance but a personal favourite.

[DracoM]

'Fraid this is going to sound vinegary, but this was SO La Fleming.
Her constant slowing down to make sure we all got who was singing reminded me of what she regularly does at the Met and gets away with it. I like my Marschalin a lot more flinty than that.

Agree about Italian tenor - real ear opener.

[Cockney Sparrow]

We weren't free on the Fleming dates, so we'll be hearing Rachel Willis-Sørensen as Marschalin on Tuesday. From a brief look on the 'net she seems to be a rising artist, which bodes well, I'm hoping.

[Prommer]

A curate's egg. I was in the House for this, and will listen again on iPlayer...

My biggest issue was with the conducting, and the blending of the voices and the orchestra. Too often it was Rosenkavalier played as a slightly over loud and overly slow soundtrack, with the voices bobbing up and down in the waves. Dynamics needed attention, certainly in the theatre and ? on the radio. Not sure Andris is a singer's conductor in this evidence. Am sorry to be a nostalgicist bore, but come back Carlos, all is forgiven...

The production was similarly appealing and engaging, and then 'off'.

The cast was superb, but none quite right for their roles. So it was very hit-and-miss. I hope to be able to return to this theme, and give more particulars!

[Pianorak]

Dynamics needed attention, certainly in the theatre and ? on the radio.

Certainly on the radio. In fact, I soon switched off. I loved the opening but right from the start the Marschallin seemed either poorly miked or swamped by the orchestra.

[Prommer]

Certainly on the radio. In fact, I soon switched off. I loved the opening but right from the start the Marschallin seemed either poorly miked or swamped by the orchestra.

There was no shortage of mikes. Donald M. tweeted a pic of a host of mics...

[Old Grumpy]

Anyone yet tuned in?

Yes, but not by choice! I was happily tuned in to Jazz Line Up, which was rudely interrupted after 45 minutes (of what should be a 90 minute programme) by Der Rosenkavalier

OG



From some of the comments above, it seems I didn't miss much by turning off

[underthecountertenor]

A curate's egg. I was in the House for this, and will listen again on iPlayer...

My biggest issue was with the conducting, and the blending of the voices and the orchestra. Too often it was Rosenkavalier played as a slightly over loud and overly slow soundtrack, with the voices bobbing up and down in the waves. Dynamics needed attention, certainly in the theatre and ? on the radio. Not sure Andris is a singer's conductor in this evidence. Am sorry to be a nostalgicist bore, but come back Carlos, all is forgiven...

The production was similarly appealing and engaging, and then 'off'.

The cast was superb, but none quite right for their roles. So it was very hit-and-miss. I hope to be able to return to this theme, and give more particulars!

Agreed re Andris Nelsons. The orchestra clearly love him, judging by their reaction to him at the beginning of each act and at the curtain call when I went (dress rehearsal and last Wednesday). I sometimes think that with this (splendid) orchestra, their overenthusiastic reaction to certain conductors serves as a barely concealed message to Tony Pappano that they don't really like him. And he very much IS a singers' conductor. AN gave the orchestra their head, so they love him - but certainly in the first half of Act I much of the singing went for little or nothing. My nostalgia is of a more recent vintage, as sadly I never saw Carlos conduct Rosenkavalier (only Otello,which was a revelation). For me, Thielemann in 2000 is unlikely ever to be matched.

Sorry to disagree with DracoM, but I thought Fleming was far from being her occasionally attention-seeking self. For me her interpretation of the Marschallin this time was the highlight of the evening, as her voice has lost some of the richness which made her performances in the past too creamy and overindulgent. In its place has come a hint of fragility which makes her performance all the more touching.

By contrast, I thought that Alice Coote (whom I generally admire) just tried too hard, both vocally (with a tendency to sharpness when high and loud) and histrionically (though her Mariandel was good value comedically).

Despite the above reservations, I greatly enjoyed the performance and the staging overall, and look forward to listening to the broadcast, which I have recorded.

I did catch the end of the broadcast, only to hear that the big 'coup de theatre' at the end clearly went disastrously wrong, as the stage left (speaker right) half of the rear wall produced an alarming succession of banging noises as it was swung back to reveal the WWI montage. I frankly thought that that idea of Carsen's was a mistake anyway; but asking for a big scene change over the most magically quiet orchestral passage in the whole piece is asking for trouble (it was hardly whisper quiet when I went, but the noise on Saturday was frankly embarrassing and wrecked the end of the broadcast).

[Prommer]

Yes, the squeaking and grating noise as the set swung back to reveal the 'Blackadder Goes Forth' WWI trench scene was embarrassingly loud.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Like underthecountertenor I went to both dress rehearsal and last weds. I think his comments are spot on (with the trio for example being very slow ) but can I put in a word for the absolutely sensational performance of Matthew Rose as Ochs? He energised things massively in Act One on both evenings and commanded the stage . His voice was loud ( but rich) enough to ride the orchestra - some others struggled to do so including the three orphans which featured some seasoned singers. Nelsons appeared to back things off much more dynamically when RF was singing (beautifully) . All in all a great couple of evenings . I would be interested to know what the alternative cast is like . Incidentally the voice / orchestra balance was much better on radio ( particularly so for RF) so R3's lavish mic allocation was well worthwhile .

[underthecountertenor]

Like underthecountertenor I went to both dress rehearsal and last weds. I think his comments are spot on (with the trio for example being very slow ) but can I put in a word for the absolutely sensational performance of Matthew Rose as Ochs? He energised things massively in Act One on both evenings and commanded the stage . His voice was loud ( but rich) enough to ride the orchestra - some others struggled to do so including the three orphans which featured some seasoned singers. Nelsons appeared to back things off much more dynamically when RF was singing (beautifully) . All in all a great couple of evenings . I would be interested to know what the alternative cast is like . Incidentally the voice / orchestra balance was much better on radio ( particularly so for RF) so R3's lavish mic allocation was well worthwhile .

Thanks, Heldenleben, and you are quite right about Matthew Rose. I forgot, unforgivably, to mention him, so thank you for righting the wrong.

I've heard good things about the other cast, and Anna Stéphany is a wonderful singer, so I'm sorry not to have the chance to see and hear them. But I look forward to listening to the broadcast in full. It could be good enough to release commercially (and, as it was probably RF's last Marschallin in Europe, it must have a claim to fall within the 'historic' category) - but, if so, I hope they can drop in a patch of the last couple of pages from a balance test performance (or somehow edit out the embarrassing set noise at the end).

[bluestateprommer]

....as it was probably RF's last Marschallin in Europe, it must have a claim to fall within the 'historic' category) - but, if so, I hope they can drop in a patch of the last couple of pages from a balance test performance (or somehow edit out the embarrassing set noise at the end).

This looks to be the same production that the Metropolitan Opera will do in May, with RF, Elīna Garanča, and Erin Morley currently scheduled as the lady leads, and Günther Groissböck as Baron Ochs. Maybe the production will work better on the movie screen visually. BTW, GG sang a very fine Landgraf in Tannhauser at the Met a few seasons back, so he should be worth a watch as Ochs. This is being sold in NYC as RF's farewell to the role, I believe. Levine was supposed to conduct, but he bailed, and it's Sebastian Weigle set to lead from the pit.

[Richard Tarleton]

An old HTV documentary about Sophie Bevan's musical family