Der RosenkavalierNew production

One of the most popular 20th–century operas, Der Rosenvavalier (The Knight of the Rose) was created by the German composer Richard Strauss in collaboration with the Austrian writer, dramatist and librettist Hugo von Hoffmansthal. Presenting a colourful picture of life in mid-18th-century Vienna, it employs numerous time-honoured comedy traits – disguise, convoluted situations, ridiculous human types. The world premiere of Der Rosenkavalier, in 1911 in Dresden, was such a sensational success that extra train connections were provided in order to make it possible for opera  fans from across Europe to travel to see the production in the capital of Saxony. Strauss himself referred to Der Rosenkavalier as a “Mozartean opera”, adding that he had aimed to create a modern version of Le nozze di Figaro.

Though a comedy, whose four protagonists – the aristocratic Marschallin, her lover Count Octavian, her cousin Baron Ochs and his prospective fiancée Sophie – are enmeshed in a number of intrigues involving mistaken identities, the piece also affords food for thought, incorporating such weighty themes as marital infidelity and human inconstancy. The new State Opera production of Der Rosenkavalier is a revival of the highly acclaimed Komische Oper Berlin adaptation, directed by Andreas Homoki and featuring Frank Philipp Schlößmann’s sets and Gideon Davey’s costumes.