Der Rosenkavalier

Published Tuesday 27 May 2008 at 19:20 by Edward Bhesania

David McVicar’s Scottish Opera production of Strauss’ waltz-driven Der Rosenkavlier gets its first London outing with an extremely promising cast.

Eschewing the customary opulent Viennese courtly setting, McVicar has placed the Feldmarschallin within stricken times - the end of an era, which perhaps also reflects the character’s own fading beauty. The stage set remains the same for the Act II town house of the ‘two-penny noble’ Faninal, and also for the seedy Act III hotel in which Baron Ochs receives his comeuppance. It’s a move that frustratingly flattens the social hierarchy, but the cast - and the musical direction under Edward Gardner - covers well for this weakness.

Vocally, Janice Watson is a lyrical treat as the Marschallin - although she fails to make the heartache, nor gives full poignancy to her selfless act of guiding her toyboy Octavian into the arms of the young Sophie. All the remaining characters are deftly drawn, with Sarah Connolly suitably heroic in the trouser role of the young Octavian - exuberant in the confidence of youth - and Sarah Tynan looking the vision of purity, and with vocal eloquence to match, while adamant not to be poked around as a piece of bridal flesh. John Tomlinson excels as Baron Ochs, presenting a study of a nobleman whose grooming is constantly dented by his congenital propensity to chase the girls. The manner in which his self-important confidence expands to inhabit Faninal’s entire dwelling in Act II is a theatrical tour de force.

Edward Gardner occasionally overplays what is in places a very dense score, but he inspires truly exciting playing from the ENO orchestra, ensuring the waltzes are honeyed but not cloying, but also impressing on us the music’s physicality.