Opera Scotland

Strauss Collection 2025Scottish Opera

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This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening of excerpts from three of the operas of Richard Strauss and his greatest collaborator as librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal.  The two most familiar works were Ariadne auf Naxos in the first part and Der Rosenkavalier after the interval.  The second item was in many ways the most interesting. Arabella was the last of the Hofmannsthal works, and undoubtedly marred by his sudden and untimely death, before he could complete any final adjustments. Strauss was understandably reluctant to tinker with his friend's work, even if it was not left in a perfect state.

For Ariadne we were given the closing pages of the Prologue - the flirtation between the young composer and Zerbinetta and his desperation when his mentor, the Music Master, has to reconcile him to the disastrous last minute adjustments to its performance. Hanna Hipp has already played the full role with Opera North and at Glyndebourne, and there was no need to make allowances for this being a concert presentation. Rhian Lois made an attractive Zerbinetta and Roland Wood was highly effective as the Music Master.  The Prima Donna only has a brief contribution in the Prologue, but Helena Dix made an immediate impact.  Roland Wood would repay the compliment with his brief appearance at the end of Der Rosenkavalier as Faninal escorts the Marschallin to her carriage.

Der Rosenkavalier has not been seen complete in Scotland for nearly twenty years - astonishing - so many of the audience in Glasgow may have been hearing the glorious final trio and duet for the first time - lucky them. The Presentation of the Rose is another sure-fire winner, and Rhian Lois as Sophie soared beautifully.  It was also a good idea to continue with the important dialogue as the young couple get to know one another. The suite of extracts from Der Rosenkavalier began with the first act Prelude and opening duet, in which the voices of Helena Dix and Hanna Hipp blended nicely.

And what of Arabella?  For most people who know the work it is a firm favourite, and yet it seems not to attract audiences for whom other Strauss works act as a magnet.  There seems only to have been one successful staging in the UK, and that was by veteran Straussian Rudolf Hartmann, conducted by Georg Solti. It opened at Covent Garden in 1965, with Lisa della Casa and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.  During several revivals every couple of years over the next dozen the title role was variously taken by Joan Carlyle, Heather Harper and Kiri Te Kanawa. In the eighties ENO put it on with Dame Josephine Barstow and Glyndebourne with Dame Felicity Lott.  A second Royal Opera staging featured Karita Mattila and Bryn Terfel. None of these has been revived.

Given the quality of the performance of these extracts it is hard to see where the problem lies, if indeed there is one.  The first act duet for the two sisters is a cracker and the two contrasting soprano voices blended perfectly.  There were two duets for the central couple, Helena Dix and Roland Wood, one with them very much at cross purposes, the second a very welcome reconciliation.

Stuart Stratford conducted the whole evening with great style, bringing out all sorts of instrumental detail. The final scene, when Arabella almost floats down the hotel stairs to meet with Mandryka, came over beautifully.

Thinking about it, the most likely reason for neglecting this work must be the cost - it is difficult to imagine the 1860 Viennese setting being changed.  An expensive hotel suite, a ballroom and the hotel foyer, all with a range of elegant and expensive costumes.  But is that inevitably more difficult to mount than La traviata?  A first Scottish staging is surely long overdue.