Metropolitan Opera- Der Rosenkavalier

Renee Fleming singing Strauss is like a fine American chardonnay- buttery, luscious, and silky smooth. You never hear her effort. Her tone blends into the ensemble in such a natural way that there seems to be a utopian Gesamtkunstwerk, (an amalgam of various art forms creating a more complete experience for the audience) at work. Susan Graham as Octavian was at home singing Strauss, not to mention a comical firehouse playing the chambermaid. During the magical moments, such as the Act I finale duet and the Act III trio, Romantic expression reaches its pinnacle. The combined intensity of the three sopranos during the trio, (Ms. Graham, Ms. Fleming, and Ms. Miah Persson) would touch the heart of any human being. It is hard to find more emotionally drowning music than Strauss. I found myself wanting to cry but was too absorbed in the multiple layers of musical texture to outwardly express anything. The best moments of Strauss can cause sensory overload- like seeing the grand finale of a fireworks display or to put it bluntly, having a really great orgasm. You get sucked into the fabric of the music and therefore naturally hesitate on outward expression.

Edo de Wart conducted a stylistically pleasing, if sometimes overpowering orchestra. The famous waltz tune transported me back to aristocratic Vienna in a brilliant and stylistically conservative manner. The Vienna Philharmonic has certain unspoken standards as to how Strauss and other composers should be played. This of course has merit given that Strauss was their music director for a few years. Having heard them perform more than a few times I am repeatedly puzzled by their mix of world class virtuosity and square interpretations. This begs the question- does Strauss sound best when it is played with little artistic liberties on the part of the conductor? Do the recordings we have conducted by Strauss himself limit the room for modern spins compared to composers like Mozart, of whom we of course do not have recordings? In this sense, it sounded the other night like we were listening to the Vienna Philharmonic itself. On the flipside, there is certainly nothing stylistically conservative about an orchestra like that of the MET that can adapt so convincingly to different musical styles and different conductors while still managing to find the brilliance. The whole evening lasted close to five hours. It was well worth every minute.