Santa Fe Opera's "Rosenkavalier" Sparkles and Captivates

The ensemble cast pile onto the hapless Baron Ochs (Matthew Rose) in Act 3 of Santa Fe Opera's
2024 production of Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier.

REVIEW

Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, Crosby Theater, Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe

ERICA MINER

Richard Strauss (right), and
Hugo von Hofmannstahl (left).

Richard Strauss, whose 160th birthday is being celebrated this year, enjoyed a dream collaboration with writer/ librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal that lasted more than two decades and produced operas of intense beauty and brilliance. But they never quite matched the unique splendor of their first lighthearted and endearingly romantic endeavor, Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, which premiered in Dresden in 1911.

Debuting director Bruno Ravella’s classy new 1950s-era production for Santa Fe, co-produced with Garsington Opera and the Irish National Opera, is cleverly constructed with not a moment of down time. Ravella plays up the humor to the max, with plenty of opportunities for bittersweet moments in between. Gary McCann’s scenic and costume design plus Ravella’s concept create the perfect atmosphere for an updated period comedy, with emphasis on the comedy. The superpower cast supported the direction and artistic ambiance superbly.

Since her initial experience as a company Apprentice, Rachel Willis-Sørensen has made a name for herself at major opera houses worldwide. Her portrayal of the key role of the Marschallin buoyed her reputation. She was radiant, both in physical presence and vocal beauty. In her dominant first act, her dramatic, classic portrayal of the conflicted noblewoman melded perfectly with the gorgeous tones that filled the theatre in her every phrase.

Rachel Willis-Sørensen (the Marschallin) and Paula Murrihy (Octavian)
at the beginning of Act 1.

Also a former Apprentice, mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy gave a sympathetic rendering of the impulsive, lovesick cavalier Octavian. The joy in her depiction was palpable from the first moment she emerged barefoot from the curtained love nest with Willis-Sørensen. Energetic, passionate, suffering from teenage love angst, Murrihy displayed a keen understanding of all the characteristics of this less complex but lynchpin character. Her voice was perfectly suited to the role, though in the first act her vibrato was overly prominent but less so in the second and third acts. In the latter, her interpretation of the chamber maid was highly entertaining and hysterically funny.

Megan Marino (Annina) and
Matthew Rose (Baron Ochs). 

Known for his 2009 Santa Fe rendering of the role of Leporello in Don Giovanni, Matthew Rose projected his deep bass impressively, backing it up with a strong characterization of the dodgy yet maddeningly appealing Baron Ochs.

Rather than the woolly sound often associated with the role, Rose’s huge, lush voice gave a scintillating aspect to the character’s self-importance and a certain believability to his vision of his potential as a lover to an absurdly young woman. McCann’s first act costuming set the stage for the over-the-top buffoonery that Rose carried through to the finale. Having Rose scream his protest over being wounded when Murrihy had not actually touched him was a particularly amusing detail.

Soprano Ying Fang was engaging as the innocent but feisty teenage Sophie. Her transformational arc, from devoutly pliable to strongly defending her right to live her life happily with her chosen love interest, was well played. But it was her arrestingly beautiful vocality that stood out. She spun one stunning high note after another, consistently, with a seeming ease that belied the difficulties of the tessitura, projecting through the huge orchestration, always in a truly memorable way.

Ying Fang (Sophie) and 
Zachary Nelson (Faninal).

As Faninal, Sophie’s misguided father, Zachary Nelson departed from his usual heavier roles to bring a believable combination of lightness and portentousness to his portrayal. He made the most of his relatively short time onstage to deliver a convincing characterization.

David Portillo gave a lovely rendering of the Italian Singer’s aria, impressively negotiating a difficult tessitura which can challenge any tenor of the highest regard. Ravella’s staging, with the Marschallin listening to the first verse at the window and the other characters motionless, heightened the Marschallin’s perpetual fear of time marching on. However, this reviewer would have preferred to watch Portillo onstage for the entire aria.

Making his company debut as Valzacchi, tenor Gerhard Siegel was a seriously devious presence, while mezzo-soprano Megan Marino gave a sparkling rendition of Annina, his partner in crime. Together they formed a great team, mirroring the characters’ collegial relationship and mining the potential for deception in a charming, humorous way while making the most of their respective vocal challenges. Marino’s background in theater was evident in her physical comedy exploits. Her singing was impeccable, and her trendy costume added appealing visual interest. Siegel deftly handled the vocal and comedic demands of his role.

The presentation of the Rose by Octavian (Paula Murrihy) to Sophie (Ying Fang).

The librettist’s multitude of minor but pivotal characters presented a golden opportunity for appearances by current and former company Apprentices, who were delightful in the many comprimario roles that Strauss and Hofmannsthal created for their comedic confection. Several of these Apprentices have been adding to their onstage experience by participating in the cast of the debuting The Righteous this season. Among them, Katharine Henry (Marianne Leitmetzerin), Natasha Isabella Gesto (Dressmaker), and the three Orphans (Isobel Anthony, Ashlyn Brown, and Christina Grohowski) made a lasting impression. Kudos go to Kathryn Henry for bringing attention to the small but pivotal role of Marianne with her outstanding, well-projected high notes.

Karina Canellakis.

Conductor Karina Canellakis showed, in her splendid Santa Fe Opera debut, why she was a winner of the prestigious Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award. Having started out playing the violin, she demonstrated a violinist’s sensitivity in her interpretation of this glorious score. Hofmannsthal had requested some “sweet waltzes” from Strauss, despite the genre not being appropriate for the period in which the opera was set.

Canellakis made full use of sweeping gestures to emphasize the importance of these captivating waltzes throughout the performance. Her keen orchestral sense was evident in the sparkling sounds that she drew from the musicians, and her pacing was impeccable, holding the audience’s interest through to the very end of a long evening.

Strauss’s music and Hofmannsthal’s story—the former much loved and the latter highly insightful—together form a reflection on the war between the upper and lower classes that can present a challenge with regards to direction and setting, which in this production was rather more contemporary than the work's authors envisaged.

Ravella’s staging infused the trio of settings of the three acts with humor and a canny sense of sympathy to all the vicissitudes of the characters’ personalities. Gary McCann’s scenic and costume design are pleasing to the eye but at the same time visually believable as an intriguing combination of ornate Baroque, classical and mid-20th century ambiance viewed from a current point of view.

Rachel Willis-Sørensen (Marschallin)
 at the window.

A good example is the striking carved white plaster background decoration sculpted by Stephen Metcalf. With Malcolm Rippeth’s LED lighting, which brilliantly displayed each dramatic milieu, both give a modern feel to the centuries-old theme of the work. Large windows on stage left add a sense of connection to the outside world. The scene changes, in full view of the audience, are adeptly done, the Act 3 changeover containing an especially delightful surprise.

McCann’s costumes are equally eye-catching. With the huge number of characters, the potential for different styles is key: from the ultra-sophisticated and dramatically romantic Marschallin to the sleazy, pseudo-aristocratic Baron Ochs. All the designs, carefully crafted to play up the most important dramatic and comedic aspects of the characters, added up to a visual feast whose updated feel allowed the audience to connect more closely with the personages onstage.

All in all, Santa Fe Opera's production of Strauss and Hoffmanstahl's masterpiece, which continues with further performances on August 8 and 15, was striking and well worth multiple viewings. The company’s season is dedicated to the memory of much beloved former General Director Richard Gaddes.

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Crosby Theater, Santa Fe Opera, 301 Opera Drive, Santa Fe, NM, Friday, August 2, 2024, 8:00 p.m.

Images: Strauss and Hofmannsthal: richard-strauss-institut; The production: Curtis Brown.