2013 Arts in the City

Orchestral Music in Der Rosenkavalier

I do not think I was prepared to appreciate an opera prior to attending this show, and as such my evaluation of the dynamics within it are frustratingly shallow. Having recently misplaces my glasses, I was under the belief that I would be able to focus more clearly on the effects of the music, and how they told of parallel story to that of the characters on stage. This was a little bit of a fanciful idea, seeing as how I have no classic training in music and lack the vocabulary to properly express what effect it is that it truly had. What did become very apparent is that the music was very much a frame for which the powerful and beautiful voices of the singers to be presented in the most appropriate way possible, working to help sonically emphasize the most important emotions trying to be communicated. Orchestral music is very soothing for me to hear, and in this case proved to be much to relaxing. Without a clear view of the characters onstage I could not follow the story as well as I would have liked, and swiftly fell victim to the music. I enjoyed what I saw of the opera, and hope to go next time after a good nap and some coffee.

Der Rosenkavalier

This was my first time watching an opera and I really was grateful to have seen such an involved work. The interaction between the different characters and singers definitely played an important role in how the audience viewed certain scenes as well as the emotions that were being conveyed. In the first scene, when the curtain rises on Octavian and Princess von Werdenberg, you can see their intimate yet secretive relationship because of how they are on the bed and very very close to each other. The secretness of their relationship is also portrayed when he is told to hide behind the bed and then he forgets his sword and then goes back to the bad and you can see worry in her face. Although, at the angle I was sitting, it was a bit difficult to view every move that was made by the characters, it was clear the conscious choices made by the singers played a role in conveying a particular mood or feeling to the audience.

Another scene where the interaction of the characters was important was when the Notary first entered along with a multitude of different characters. I thought that because of the many characters all having their own individual role in that scene in the context of the whole stage showed just how prestigious this family was. So many people in one room indicated that they were socialites and had many people attending to their tasks. This scene was almost an example of a lack of interaction between the characters that helped  the audience to see the elite privileged life of the family we will be viewing for the remainder of the play.

I enjoyed watching the opera although we had very high seats. I think my first exposure to the opera was a very good one and the subtitles that were provided to the audience greatly helped me to understand the opera scene by scene.

The Role of Orchestral Music in Stauss’ Der Rosenkavalier

During the overture, the mix of the orchestra seemed like it lacked a firm bass section, utilizing only a single tuba. At first, this threw me off— I had thought to myself, “Isn’t this supposed to be a MET Opera, one of the most refined in the world?” I was right. Upon hearing the interplay between the character’s voices and the orchestra, I had realized that would have been an all out dynamic brawl between the singing and instrumentation is intelligently avoided by the minimal bass section. Overall, the interplay between the two resulted in a beautiful aural landscape.

Music in Der RosenKavalier

I must admit that I bit off a bit more than I could chew on this particular event by choosing to focus on music. I have very little professional experience in the world of music, and no experience whatsoever in the world of opera. As such, I am unable to fully appreciate the nuances of each performance and use complex terms like “scoopy” to describe how each vocalist sounded.

That said, however, My key observation was the ease with which I could identify characters based on differences in their voices. I had entered the opera skeptical that I would be able to distinguish one soprano from the other, a particularly difficult job in an opera with so many female vocalists, but I quickly became familiar with the differences in overall texture and sound between each performer and was able to easily use voice to determine the singing actor, instead of having to guess based on stage direction. Of course, being able to know who is speaking doesn’t add a great deal to any performance, but being so familiar with each singers’ voice on such an intimate level really led to a stronger connection with the characters leading to a greater investment in the events that unfolded over the three or so hours that I was there.

It was a really good show.

The soprano who played the Marschellin debuted in the Ring Cycle as Sieglinde. I had seen her in Die Walküre, and it was wonderful to have that sort of connection here. I have also never seen a stage so cavernous or a set so intricate. I was astounded by the engineering. (And for those who didn’t stay until the third act, you missed an epic high-five in the orchestra pit.)

First time at the Opera

Because it was the first time I had had that kind of experience , I did not really know what to expect. But as the evening progressed, I became more intrigued with what Richard Strauss had written for his audience. The music captivated my attention right away. I tend to listen to a variety of classical music, especially while I am studying. I also consider myself to have pretty good memory when it comes to recognizing the songs I’ve heard, and what fascinated me is that all of the music that reached that ears that night was new. I definitely feel like this was a new experience to me in every sense.

Der Rosenkavalier – Tenor

The tenor in Act I of “Der Rosenkavalier” had a very smooth voice. He was able to project loudly over the orchestra and perfectly in tune, while retaining the warm and sweet characteristic of many choir tenors. This was astonishing, as most opera tenors usually have some “grit” in their voices because of the volume they have to project; slight natural harmonic distortion is usually produced and wild vibrato usually follows. But this tenor had little of these characteristics. The color of his voice also matched well with the orchestra; he had a very pure tone.

Der Rosenkavalier Review: Acting

I only stayed for Act I of Der Rosenkavalier, but I was able to witness the way that both the music and the voices themselves contributed to the acting as a whole.  We were really high up and the faces were blurred, but it didn’t hinder from realizing the emotions that the actors were portraying.  When you close your eyes, you could still feel every emotion and every response that each actor conveyed through the sound of their voice.

Music Transcends all Barriers

Though my focus was on choreography, I could not pull myself away from the emotion that radiated through the singers’ tone and simply the way they delivered their lines. Regarding choreography, there would be moments in the play where very little movement was needed and then other scenes where all of a sudden a parade of characters would come onto the stage and the audience must reluctantly give up trying to follow each and every character’s actions.The scene that blew my mind is when the widow, the three orphan daughters, a hairdresser, a group of tradespeople, a man of letters, a flautist and a tenor parade into the living room and all go upon their own activities with the tenor drawing in the most attention with his melody or aria. The choreographer of this scene takes a huge risk and had to have planned out what they wanted most out of this scene. Did he/she want to create a busy scene – so busy that one should not be able to follow each character’s activities in detail? Or did he/she want a busy scene and in the midst of it all want the audience to notice that one character—in this case the tenor- and by doing so placing a greater emphasis on the beauty in the tenor’s aria? Such planning is what makes a great choreographer admirable and one of the greatest assets to making a performance a great performance.
What I wanted to address quickly was how the singers could bring out my feelings of sadness, anger, and disappointment even though the entire opera was in German. Sure there were subtitles, but whether I looked at them or not, I could still feel my eyebrows being pulled together and the corners of my mouth turning down as the Marchellin was realizing that Octavian would end up leaving her and that it was best if she let him go. It is amazing how music can transcend all barriers- in particular language and visual since we could not see the actors facial expressions at all. My heartache was probably the high light of my experience at the opera.

Music

In this performance, the music relied heavily on the french horns. I was surprised to see this because in other bands I’ve seen, the french horns were either completely not in the band or very small in number. Seeing them play a huge role in a production like this was like a breath of fresh air.

Der Rosenkavalier

The Opera was absolutely beautiful, both in the artistry and the set and costume design. The sets were incredibly elaborate, especially the Marshalin’s bed chamber, complete with huge bay windows. The set was designed to evoke the royal courts of the eighteenth century, though the opera was written in a later century. The set immediately established the characters as well as the setting. The luxury present signaled to the audience that the characters are wealthy and powerful.

Der Rosenkavalier – Sets

For the hour that I was there, and from the sky-high seats we were in, the sets looked pretty impressive. The sets appeared as though they belonged in a castle. The curtains were luxurious, and the walls were magnificent.  Everything just looked beautiful, with the costumes it really looked like they were in the 1700s. Another aspect of the set that I noticed was the window, how the shades were closed and opened to differentiate between night and day. The first act took place in The Marschallin’s bedroom and to think that that was only room in the whole house you could imagine how big the house is painted out to be.

OPERA OPERA OPERA!!

Der Rosenkavelier was wonderful. The costumes were exquisite, the sets were ornate, and the music was mind blowing. The ending was sad but beautiful. The voices were gorgeous and carried all throughout the theater, and the singers played their characters perfectly.

The ending of the opera was bittersweet. It was beautiful but also sad. The Marshallin gives up Octavian, her love, so that he can be with Sophia. She doesn’t want Sophia to end up married to a disgusting older man whom she does not love, like the Marshallin had to at her age. She’s giving up love so that the person she loves can be happy and to change the fate of a young woman whom she knows nothing about. This act of selflessness is moving and sad, although the lovers are happy to finally be together. It’s a beautiful contrast that was executed perfectly.

My First Opera

After years of listening to Andrea Bocelli, I thought of opera as a beautiful expression of human emotion. When I walked into the theatre, I was amazed by the size of the room, the elegance of the lights, and the size of the orchestra. When the orchestra began to play, I deeply appreciated the unity and chemistry of the large orchestra, all members playing as one. First impressions can mean so much.

The Opera

No one told me Quinquin was a woman. Maybe he was played by a woman so that the Marschallin’s lover would seem less masculine so that he doesn’t overpower her. The way Quinquin got down on his knees and kissed her made it look like she was his master. The Marschallin obviously loved Quinquin, but it was a different kind of love. It was kind of like the way I love my puppy.

Der Rosenkavalier – Lighting

The opera used lighting in a more subtle manner than in plays and other performances. Act 1 started with a dim light to represent the rising sun. As time went on the light became brighter until the whole room was well lit. Act 2 started out bright, but dimmed out slowly until the its ending. The lights during act 2 help illuminate Octavian as the Rosenkavalier since she was wearing a shiny coat.
Primary lights were yellow and white, no other colors were used. Yellow for the rising and setting of the sun. White for lighting up indoor scenes. A spotlight was also focused on the conductor of the orchestra, only during the parts where the music was the main focus.

Costumes (as per usual)

Let me just start by saying that I loved the opera. The first act certainly was slow, but as time passes I found it absolutely breath-taking and enchanting. I have certainly fallen in love.

The glittering silver costumes Octavian and Sophie were so incredibly perfect. They fit together, shimmering under the spot light. That said, that was the only time this couple really matched. Oddly enough, the costume designers choose a more untraditional role in matching couples costumes by not matching their costumes. Most of the couples were put in scenes together with contrasting colored outfits, while enemies had complimentary tones. This is usually not so.

Also, I loved the characterization of the Marschallin through her costumery. She not only had the finer clothing of the cast, but also was much taller as well. This played into her large stature and mature viewpoint. The Marschallin was by far my favorite character, and I really appreciated her view point.

This doesn’t relate to costumes, but I figured I throw it in. I honestly don’t think that this had a sad ending. Yes, in the end, the Marschallin gives up her love, but she does so without pouting or complaining. She knows that Sophie is best for him (for she still has a husband.) The young love of Sophie and Octavian is done very well, very sweetly and true to life, but also in such a way that it does not rub such love in the Marschallin’s face. I think while the ending is not perfect, but it is very beautiful and true to how life is. I appreciate the Marschallin accepting her fate, and in such, see a stronger and more powerful character who I truly admire. It would be a sad ending for me if she had let down my standard of her.

Der Rosenkavalier

Watching the opera was a very entertaining experience. The voices were harmonious, the orchestra produced beautiful music, and the singers added personality to their characters. This personality was nicely portrayed through their movements.

The lovers conveyed their feelings for each other in the first scene through body language. When the baron visits, his pompous air is portrayed by the way he walks and talks. Overall, the choreography brought the character of the actors to the surface. For those of us who could not see facial expressions, choreography was sufficient enough to convey the emotions and feelings of the characters.

Der Rosenkavalier

The opera was beautiful.

As the lights dim, and the curtains open it’s as if you are transported into a different era. The sets was amazing, with the  different levels and all the detail.

The costumes that were worn gave an extra piece of information about the characters to the audience. Marie Thérèse von Werdenberg wore peach, corset gown, and this made her look very elegant. On the gown there were small detailing and embroidery in gold that gave off a sense of effortless beauty. She is after-all an more mature woman and very knowledgeable and her attire attested to this.

Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau was an obnoxious character. He needed everyone to know when he entered the room. He wore a bright red and gold piece in the second act. The red gave a sense of wealth and you could tell that he was from a higher class than some of other characters. But the extravagance of his attire also gave off the sense of him being the obnoxious character he was suppose to be.