Review: Der Rosenkavalier, Act I

With the Loveland Opera Theatre, I am singing the role of the Marschallin in the final scene of Der Rosenkavalier. So, I am borrowing a video of the opera from a friend/colleague of mine and have been watching it when I can find time so I have a better feel for the story and my character. This particluar performance stars soprano legend Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in the role of the Marschallin.

So far, I have only watched Act I. It's peculiar because it really doesn't make a lot of sense - not like most film or TV plots. But it's more like real life, if that makes any sense. Things happen that somehow add to the overall impression of the context, but don't really contribute much to the plot, and a my character's emotions change rapidly without any dramatic motivation. Aren't we real women more like this? Especially during that monthly period of otherwise unexplainable irrational behavior? I've decided that the Marchallin is PMS-ing during Act I.

As far as the performing, I have a really hard time believing the mezzo to be a man. I mean, I've seen believable mezzos in pants roles in other operas, but this one isn't working for me. I think it's because the tessitura of the role and quality of the voice sound so similar to the leading soprano. Unfortunately, it's taking conscious effort to remember that in the story it's a man and a woman kissing, not two sopranos.

Ms. Schwarzkopf is interesting to watch on stage. If you couldn't hear her, you might think she was just speaking her lines. Her mouth looks so natural, not like most singers - particularly sopranos. And her German diction - actually that of all the cast - is so clear that even a non-native speaker like myself can easily understand the text. In fact, after I turned it off, I caught myself speaking to the cats in German.

At any rate, I have two more acts to watch. Hopefully during that time I'll get a glimpse of what Strauss was thinking when he wrote Octavian for a mezzo. We'll see!