Metropolitan Opera Archives

Der Rosenkavalier received seven performances this season.
The sets for Acts I and II were repainted by J. Novak.

Review 1:

Review of Olin Downes in The New York Times

FINE PERFORMANCE FOR STRAUSS OPERA

"Rosenkavalier" Conducted by Busch - Jessner, Stevens, Steber and List in Leads

Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier" was given a delightful performance yesterday afternoon in the Metropolitan Opera House, one distinguished by excellent ensemble, dramatic and otherwise, by highly competent vocal interpretation, and by the vivacity, point and musical characterization of the orchestra under the direction of Fritz Busch.

The opera, so interpreted, lost some of its more obvious and bourgeois characteristics, and gained materially in distinction and in the aptness of tonal dialogue and situation. Aside from disproportions of the libretto and the music too, this is an extremely adroit comedy of manners, and so it was made by action on the stage and full advantage taken of Strauss' dexterous scoring.

Occasionally details of action were overdone, when, instead of being funny, heavy emphasis was placed upon points which the audience was not supposed to be clever enough to perceive without these italicisms. And perhaps, since the majority in the audience do not understand German, and need as much explanation of the text as is possible by pantomime, these particularizations, even when excessive, did more good than harm. In any event, it was a lively, amusing, and effectively communicated performance.

The most novel feature of it was Mr. Busch's treatment of orchestra and score. He elevated the orchestra, putting it on a somewhat higher level in the pit than is customary. At the same time he held this rather robustly instrumentated score down in such a way that every word and note from the singers was plainly heard. Simultaneously the counterpoint which Richard Strauss himself once said was born in the cradle with the German musician, who did not always benefit by the inheritance - the frequently elaborate counterpoint was heard in every strand and part.

Places in the second act where there is no particular unity of music and text, and which had seemed sometimes rather like just yards of writing, gained materially in significance and dramatic value. Strauss was even insistent in the later years that the full text of "Elektra" should be equally distinct, even with this opera's volcanic orchestration; and Strauss attempted, with the collaboration of Mr. Busch, the small orchestral version of "Salome," with the same purpose in mind.

In music for a comedy this distinctness and fineness of balance is absolutely a requisite, and Mr. Busch notably achieved it. So, too, did he achieve a fine elasticity in his tempo, much light and shade, and a great musical distinctness on the stage. His musical conception, and ensemble execution of it was at the core of the occasion.

The cast showed how much is gained when the same singers appear repeatedly together in an opera, in place of former Metropolitan practices of putting as many different singers of reputation in the same parts at successive performances as possible. There is no phenomenal singer in the present cast of "Rosenkavalier," but the presentation is so intelligent and coordinated that this feature is not missed.

The best all-round vocal performance, and it is fortunate, was Irene Jessner's in the leading part which she has made so admirably her own-that of the Marchioness. It has emotion and introspection, and the color of the tone conveys the mood and the motivation.

Risë Stevens has excellent stage business, and was very amusing in the passages with the Baron. The audience ought to laugh, as so often it did, at these scenes. The maid-servant airs and mischievous languishments, Baron Ochs' palpable distraction due to her charms, in the conversation with the Marchioness, and the farcical scenes between the two in the third act, made very good fun. But this was not all. In the final scene of Act I with the Marchioness, and the encounter of the second act with Sophie - the greeting and presentation of the Rose - the awakening to the loveliness of the young girl, the pervading youthfulness and gallantry of Octavian's bearing, there was fine dramatic delineation.

One thing, in our opinion, remains regrettable in Miss Stevens' performance. This is her exaggerated facial play, which is not only unnecessary but, because of the excessive use of mouth and lips, may well have to do with the lack of brilliancy and carrying power of a tone which now inclines to the potato-y. There is no need to speak of the inherent capacity of the voice.

Eleanor Steber was charming and girlish as Sophie, and at her best did some beautiful singing. Her scenes with Octavian in Act Two were not only graceful, they moved the beholder with the spectacle of youth and love come into its own. Emanuel List's, an admirable, properly loutish characterization, the foil to all the other parts, is an authoritative picture. He missed not a stroke of characterization and of the country squire's treatment of the German text.

There were more details of interest than it would be easy to recount here. Kurt Baum tackled the high tessitura of the song of the vain tenor with conspicuous success, and won a round of applause from the audience. The three orphans, the hairdresser, the malicious Valzacchi of Alessio de Paolis and the charming guile of Herta Glaz as his fellow-plotter, Annina, the fussy mother of Sophie, and the grasping sychophantic Faninal - all this, with first class conducting, made a diverting show, enjoyed by a big audience.

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