Sophie Bevan, Matthew Rose, Alice Coote & ensemble in Act 2.
Given that the sightlines at the Royal Opera House aren’t great, this meant that much of the action was lost to those sitting on the right of the auditorium. Another issue is that Carsen set so much of the action at the extremities of the stage, with much taking place at far stage left. It must be said that things improved for Act 3, set in a bordello, where the soft furnishings softened the effect of emptiness that dominated the earlier acts. For a work that feeds so much on the intimacy between characters, Carsen’s staging felt surprisingly empty. I felt there was little of the usual sense of intimacy between the Marschallin and Octavian and in turn, the burgeoning love between Octavian and Sophie felt dominated and overwhelmed by the high walls of Faninal’s home.
In a way, one could say that this highlighted the Marschallin’s loneliness but it also felt soulless. Yet there were also wide open spaces that felt empty. The sets were large and imposing – in Act 1 offering distant vistas through the warren of corridors in the Marschallin’s palace. Part of that was due to Carsen’s staging. This was clearly an emotional evening for all involved and yet, I’m afraid to say, it didn’t work the magic that Rosenkavalier usually works on me. It was performed in a new Robert Carsen staging, which was in turn based on another staging of his from Salzburg. With a work that deals with love, loss and the passage of time, it seemed quite apposite for tonight’s performance of Der Rosenkavalier to mark Renée Fleming’s operatic farewell to London. Royal Opera Chorus, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Andris Nelsons.
Der Haushofmeister bei der Feldmarschallin – Samuel Sakkerĭer Haushofmeister bei Faninal – Thomas Atkins
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