Arabella

In 1927, Strauss wrote to Hugo von Hofmannsthal - his librettist since the time of Elektra – asking him for a “second Rosenkavalier”. That is, a  romantic comedy in Viennese surroundings with the idea of renewing one of the greatest successes of his career, The work was born with  the worst omens: Hoffmansthal died of a heart attack  as an after effect of his son’s suicide, without  having finished the revision of the last two acts; conductor Fritz Busch, who was to premiere the opera, was fired from the Dresden Staatsoper once Hitler came to power; and finally, the coincidence of the  date of the work’s premiere with a Nazi convention in the city, in July 1933, meant that Arabella was presented to the public in a theatre filled with green shirts.

In spite of the unfortunate list of the unexpected, this is a worthy heiress of the Rosenkavalier, with shades of the frivolous world of Die Fledermaus. Large doses proliferate, especially in the magical third act, of the aging composer’s artistry. The production by Christof Loy - who signed Capriccio three seasons ago -, is, as well, the absolute premiere of the opera in our city.