So undoubtedly, I will intersperse my usual ramblings with various of my favorite YouTubes or concerti, aria, etc. (Quick Factoid: The ampersand & is really a combination of Et meaning and in Latin and later French!) This week's work is by Richard (Ree-kard) Strauss. It's the finale from his comic opera Der Rosenkavalier. If you were around fall semester, the UT Symphony performed it as part of the Opera Gala concert. Although at the time, I was floundering in learning a crapload of music as well as attempting to lead a section, looking back, it's one of the most heart-felt works I've ever heard. My toes go numb in the climax (it's that good).
Strauss was a bit of an oddball when it comes to opera. Had often immediate and sustained success with several works, including this one. Nevertheless, Der Rosenkavalier was written on the tails of two of Strauss's most infamously revolutionary operas Salome and Elektra. Der Rosenkavalier is certainly a step toward the musically conservative spectrum: in contrast to Salome, specifically, the haunting tonality of Der Rosenkavalier almost has a corporal manifestation. The lush texture, sonorous themes, and delicate tone colors surge and pulse like a living, breathing, feeling organism. Of course, when I played it, the only thing I was thinking about was my 10 second unison solo with the singer and hitting the high note in the resolution.
This particular performance is sung by Renée Fleming, Kathleen Battle, and Frederica von Stade (Octavian's part has traditionally been performed by a female with short hair--pretty much only castrati could sing this high--and well we don't have them anymore..or do we?). As any opera afficionado knows, these are among the most gifted singers in the business.
No comments:
Post a Comment