Prom 6 - 22.07.14: Der Rosenkavalier - Glyndebourne Prom

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Tuesday, 22 July
6:30 p.m. - c. 10:40 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Richard Strauss & Hugo von Hofmannstahl: Der Rosenkavalier, op. 59 (complete opera; first complete performance at The Proms)

Kate Royal (The Marschallin)
Tara Erraught (Octavian)
Lars Woldt (Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau; Proms debut artist)
Teodora Gheorghiu (Sophie; Proms debut artist)
Michael Kraus (Herr von Faninal; Proms debut artist)
Miranda Keys (Marianne Leitmetzerin)
Christopher Gillett (Valzacchi)
Helene Schneiderman (Annina; Proms debut artist)
Gwynne Howell (Notary)
Andrej Dunaev (Italian Singer; Proms debut artist)
Robert Wörle (Innkeeper; Proms debut artist)
Scott Conner (Police Commissioner; Proms debut artist)

London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Richard Jones, stage director
Robin Ticciati, conductor

Glyndebourne marks its own 80th anniversary and Strauss's 150th with the composer's richly melodic Der Rosenkavalier - the first of a trilogy of Strauss operas at this year's Proms. Vienna has rarely sounded more beguiling, more gilded with nostalgia, than in this tragicomedy that combines romance with riotous farce.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Fresh from our recent BaL discussion, we have a complete performance.

[amateur51]

Fresh from our recent BaL discussion, we have a complete performance.

I hope that Tara Erraught is able to give a performance that will knock the intemperate and sexist criticisms of her into a cocked hat

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I hope that Tara Erraught is able to give a performance that will knock the intemperate and sexist criticisms of her into a cocked hat

Depends on whether she sounds as if she looks right.

[french frank]

Early start - 6.30pm.

[Lento]

Enjoyable Glyndebourne podcast re Rosenkavalier: it probably won't tell seasoned Straussians anything new, but particularly interesting for the rest of us. Includes an emotional interview with Dame Felicity Lott.

http://glyndebourne.com/podcasts

[David-G]

Apparently there are two important changes to the cast. Louise Alder is singing Sophie, and Franz Hawlata is Ochs. I saw him in the role with WNO about twenty years ago, he was wonderful. He has sung the role recently with the CBSO in Birmingham, to great acclaim.

[gradus]

I heard only from Ochs exit onwards but what followed sounded magnificent with very fine singing by the three ladies in the trio and masterly control of the great emotional climax by conductor and orchestra.

[Stanfordian]

I hope that Tara Erraught is able to give a performance that will knock the intemperate and sexist criticisms of her into a cocked hat

Tonight we have only her voice to go on as it's on the radio.

[DracoM]

Well, it sure ain't Frederica von Stade!

[Flosshilde]

Whether it's because of Ticciati's conducting/interpretation, but this is the first time that I've heard the composer of Elektra & Salome in Rosenkavalier.

[amateur51]

Well, it sure ain't Frederica von Stade!

Well Ms von Stade is no longer Frederica von Stade these days, except on her recordings

[DracoM]

Baffled. I've just searched the ROH archive, where they aver that Ms von Stade apparently never sang Octavian at the Garden.
So why do I have this indelible memory of her singing it there ? VERY weird!!

[NickWraight]

Whether it's because of Ticciati's conducting/interpretation, but this is the first time that I've heard the composer of Elektra & Salome in Rosenkavalier.

I agree, Flosshilde, the orchestral detail last night brought out by Ticciati did, I thought, bring out the "modernist" aspects of this 'three-in a bar' score and strongly related it to the two "Tone Poems with Voices" to come later in the season. I was mildly disappointed with seeing the piece at Glyndebourne, whether that was first night jitters or a large band in a smaller, acoustically constricted pit / auditorium, I'm not sure but the RAH gave the whole performance so much more breathing space even if the soloists were often rather covered by the exposed LPO. Both the replacement Ochs and Sophie were exceptional.

[Honoured Guest]

When the BBC issues approximate interval times, they are usually the earliest expected, so the interval may actually arrive several minutes later than published.

So why did the second interval last night commence nearly ten minutes before the given time?

Was it because the given time was based on the Glyndebourne staged performance, and some plonker had forgotten that the concert performance would lose any pauses in the music due to staging considerations? If so, I hope they don't make this silly error in future.

Or did the orchestra play at faster tempi in a concert performance in passages where dramatic interest predominates over musical interest?

Or were minor cuts made last night, to accommodate the two stand-in singers?

I'm sure that some of you will have an informed view on this.

It was a prime example of the annoyance caused by scheduling stand-alone interval programmes in live performances.