Der Rosenkavalier. March 3. 2.00 pm
Richard Strauss’s most popular opera concerns a wise woman of the world who is involved with a much younger lover but ultimately forced to accept the laws of time, giving him up to a pretty young heiress. The libretto deftly combines comedy, dreamy nostalgic fantasy, genuine human drama, and light but striking touches of philosophy and social commentary. Strauss’s magnificent score, likewise, works on several levels, combining the refinement of Mozart with the epic grandeur of Wagner.
Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose), is a romantic comic opera by German composer Richard Strauss. It premiered at the Dresden Royal Opera House in 1911 and has become renowned as having some of the most miraculous music ever written for opera. It has a deep humanity and maturity with the contrasting depictions of old and young love that is utterly dazzling. It works on so many levels: comedy, social commentary, theatrical spectacle, and human drama. Rosenkavalier is dominated by its female vocal parts. Their glorious final trio is one of the highlights and Strauss loved the trio enough to request that it be performed at his funeral.