Der Rosenkavalier

Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949)

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  • Musical direction: Dmitri Jurowski / Philipp Pointner

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• Director: Christoph Waltz
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  • Medewerker kostuum: Katarina Jockwer
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  • Die Feldmarschallin: Maria Bengtsson
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  • Baron Ochs: Albert Pesendorfer
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• Octavian: Stella Doufexis

In 18^th-century Vienna, the Marschallin, a mature but attractive princess, arranges a marriage between her skirt-chasing nephew Baron Ochs and the beautiful Sophie. The Marschallin’s young lover Octavian sets out as the ‘Rosenkavalier’: he informs Sophie of the proposal by handing her a silver rose, but falls in love with her himself. While the amorous adventures play out, the melancholy Marschallin tries to come to terms with growing older. A powerful story, packed with romantic intrigue and always hovering between laughter and tears: the perfect mix for a true crowd-pleaser. The sensual late romantic music, with the waltz in a leading role, does the rest.

As far as the directing is concerned, it’s a significant first: two-time Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz will be making his opera debut in Antwerp and Ghent, before moving on to Luxemburg and London. He will be familiar to film lovers from his leading roles in films such as Inglorious Basterds and Django unchained (Tarantino), and Carnage (Polanski). In this production, Waltz will be seeking out the border between private and public, with the baroque grandeur of old Vienna as his backdrop.

Team

Waltz is chiefly known as an actor, but has built up experience as a director in his home country. Born in Vienna into a theatrical family, he is certain to deliver a nuanced take on this popular work. Three delightful soprano parts among the leading roles betray Strauss’s preference for the female singing voice. With the Swede Maria Bengtsson and the German-Greek Stella Doufexis, Flanders Opera has secured a truly star-studded cast. The young German soprano Christiane Karg had the honour of being crowned by industry magazine Opernwelt as the ‘Up-and-coming vocal talent of 2009’.

• Musical direction
  Dmitri Jurowski – 15, 17, 20, 22, 26, 28 Dec 2013 / 9, 11, 19 Jan 2014
• Philipp Pointner – 14, 17 Jan 2014
• Director
  Christoph Waltz
• Set design
  Annette Murschetz
• Costumes
  Eva Dessecker
• Lightning
  Franck Evin
• Medewerker kostuum
  Katarina Jockwer
• Choir
  Koor en Kinderkoor van de Vlaamse Opera
• Orchestra
  Symfonisch Orkest van de Vlaamse Opera
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• Die Feldmarschallin
  Maria Bengtsson
• Baron Ochs
  Albert Pesendorfer
• Octavian
  Stella Doufexis
• Herr von Faninal
  Michael Kraus
• Sophie
  Christiane Karg
• Jungfer Marianne
  Hanne Roos
• Valzacchi
  Guy De Mey
• Annina
  Ezgi Kutlu
• Ein Polizeikommissar
  Andrew Greenan
• Der Haushofmeister bei der Feldmarschallin
  Vesselin Ivanov
• Der Haushofmeister bei Faninal
  Michael J. Scott
• Ein Notar
  Thierry Vallier
• Ein Wirt
  Christopher Lemmings
• Ital. Sänger
  Nico Darmanin
• Drei adelige Waisen
  Chia-Fen Wu
• Els Van Daele
• Sandra Paelinck
• Eine Modistin
  Christa Biesemans
• Ein Tierhändler
  José Pizarro
• 4 Lakaien der Marschallin
  Stephan Adriaens
• Patrick Cromheeke
• Jonathan Raman
• Guido Verbelen
• 4 Kellner
  Stephan Adriaens
• Guido Verbelen
• Miguel Torres
• Patrick Cromheeke

SYNOPSIS

We are in Vienna in 1740, the period under Empress Maria Theresia. Count Octavian is the young lover of Princess Werdenberg, a more mature woman who goes though life under the name of ‘Marschallin’ (‘Marshal’s wife’). After a merry carnival party, Octavian has stayed with the Marschallin and they relive their first night of love as if in a dream. The bad-mannered Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau enters the princess’s house in a rush. He is looking for a young nobleman who is willing to hand a silver rose – a mark of his love – to his future bride, in accordance with the wishes of Faninal, his future father-inlaw. The Marschallin considers Octavian perfect for the task of marriage intermediary or ‘Rosenkavalier’. At the same time, Ochs tries to arrange a rendezvous with the maid ‘Mariandl’ – a rapidly improvised metamorphosis on the part of Octavian. At Faninal’s house, Octavian meets the young Sophie, Ochs’ future bride. There is immediate enchantment on both sides. Sophie flirts openly with Octavian and resists the forced marriage. When the two young people are caught enjoying a tentative kiss, Ochs’ challenges Octavian to a duel. Ochs suffers a scratch. His rage soon gives way to humour and exuberance when he is left alone with a bottle of wine. And the incident with Octavian fades into the background completely when he receives an invitation to a rendezvous with ‘Mariandl’.  A carnival ball is being held in an obscure tavern in a suburb of Vienna. The innkeeper offers a storeroom for the rendezvous between Ochs and Octavian, who is dressed up as the maid. At the very last moment the aim of the arrangement is achieved: to expose Ochs as a shameless womanizer in Faninal’s presence and to declare his forthcoming marriage to Sophie null and void. After a great many intrigues and lots of dressing up, the Marschallin, Octavian and Sophie are left together. Octavian feels caught between his feelings for the two women. The Marschallin, full of melancholy, bids farewell to a dream of love and tries to reconcile herself to ageing. The two youngsters fall into each other’s arms.