Glyndebourne’s most recent production of Der Rosenkavalier, conducted last summer by young Robin Ticciati of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, is to be released on DVD on June 1. Though The Scotsman in the old days encouraged me to make the trip to Sussex each year, the festival is now beyond my reach. But the chance to see its best productions - for a tiny fraction of the cost - in domestic surroundings is a great boon. Though the atmosphere of Glyndebourne itself is missing, the compensations are plentiful, and the chance to see Berg’s Lulu, Handel’s Rodelinda and Theodora, Tchaikovsky’s Onegin and masses of Mozart whenever I wish is one of the assets of my seniority.
The Rosenkavalier, it’s true, was undermined for some critics by its supposedly “fat” Octavian, which caused some controversy when the production opened. But looking at pictures of Tara Erraught in the role I could not see what the fuss was about. Octavians come in different shapes - the role, after all, is that of an adolescent boy played by a mezzo-soprano - and two of the best in modern times have been sung by women not famed for their good looks.
The voice and the personality are what count, and though Octavian does not need to be fat to be convincing, she does need to be priggish in Act Two, as Strauss’s characterisation of her suggests, just as she needs to be able to put on a show of vulgar tipsiness in Act Three.
So we shall see how things turn out in the ruthless close-up which DVD brings to all opera. Let me say that I am greatly looking forward to seeing the fine detail of the sublime Richard Jones’s production and do not expect to be disappointed.
As for Robin Ticciati, as Glyndebourne’s new music director he will be conducting a new production of Mozart’s Seraglio this year. That’s something else I look forward to buying on DVD when the time comes.
11 May 2015
The Rosenkavalier, it’s true, was undermined for some critics by its supposedly “fat” Octavian, which caused some controversy when the production opened. But looking at pictures of Tara Erraught in the role I could not see what the fuss was about. Octavians come in different shapes - the role, after all, is that of an adolescent boy played by a mezzo-soprano - and two of the best in modern times have been sung by women not famed for their good looks.
The voice and the personality are what count, and though Octavian does not need to be fat to be convincing, she does need to be priggish in Act Two, as Strauss’s characterisation of her suggests, just as she needs to be able to put on a show of vulgar tipsiness in Act Three.
So we shall see how things turn out in the ruthless close-up which DVD brings to all opera. Let me say that I am greatly looking forward to seeing the fine detail of the sublime Richard Jones’s production and do not expect to be disappointed.
As for Robin Ticciati, as Glyndebourne’s new music director he will be conducting a new production of Mozart’s Seraglio this year. That’s something else I look forward to buying on DVD when the time comes.
11 May 2015
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