Any Rosenkavelier ballets? If so, what?

[bart]

Listening to the Marschallin's monologue in Act I of Der Rosenkavelier recently, I began visualizing some of the productions I've seen of this opera. The story, cast, historical period, and melodic (but rhythmically complex) music seem custom made for a ballet in the MacMillen or Petit style.

Have any ballets been made to the Rosenkavelier music, using or even not using the story line? If so, what are they? and how successful were they?

If not, why HASN'T this score and story, so extremely popular on the opera stage, been developed by ballet choreographers?

[Helene]

The last section of Vienna Waltzes was performed to the Rosenkavalier waltzes.

[Farrell Fan]

Helene's matter-of-fact reply needs further comment. The last section of Vienna Waltzes was Suzanne Farrell's last role. Nobody who was at her farewell performance on November 28, 1989, will ever forget it. There are references to it in the Elusive Muse film and in Farrell's autobiography.

[dirac]

The Rosenkavalier music used by Balanchine was the First Waltz Sequence, which was arranged by the composer himself. There is a Second Waltz Sequence also, from later in the opera.

It is interesting that no ballet choreographer has never given it a try. There are parts of the story that might not work as dance, but that's never stopped them before.

[Mel Johnson]

Strauss' will kind of left a Curse of the Cat People on his music, which I don't know is still in effect. The Estate maintained that none of the Master's music which had not been used for dance before his death could not be used to accompany dance. This led to a rather amusing situation when the Estate cracked down on Eliot Feld for choreographing a work to the "Four Last Songs". The dancers danced in silence, if you didn't count the sounds from the Walkmen that were playing throughout the theater.

[bart]

I'd forgotten about the music in Vienna Waltzes. And thanks for that explanation, Mel. I suspected that the problem was something stronger than "unsuitability" or "undanceability."

Too bad. It's a great plot -- not to mention the wonderful roles. I wish I were sufficiently familiar with world-class dancing today to think of an ideal cast. Any ideas for ...

the Marschallin? ________________

Octavian? (male I suppose) ____________

Sophie? ______________

Baron Ochs?______________

[richard53dog]

Too bad.  It's a great plot -- not to mention the wonderful roles.  I wish I were sufficiently familiar with world-class dancing today to think of an ideal cast.  Any ideas for ...

the Marschallin?  ________________

Octavian? (male I suppose) ____________

Sophie?  ______________

Baron Ochs?______________

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Going There was a silent film of Rosenkavalier with a suite arranged from the opera score.(I'm fairly sure Struass created the suite, this was in the 20s)

As Bart guesses for a ballet, Octavian in the film is male. But the film plot veers all over the place with the Feldmarschal and his troops in battle scenes.

As for creating a ballet out of the opera score, it would be a bit tricky, given that so much of the music is conversational in nature. Still there's enough melody swells to provide plenty of raw material for a relatively short arrangement to be used as a ballet score.

Richard

[Helene]

Cast SFB:

Marshallin: Muriel Maffre

Sophie: Elizabeth Miner

Octavian: Yuri Possokhov

Ochs: Helgi Tomasson

Italian Tenor: Gonzalo Garcia

Cast PNB-1:

Marshallin: Patricia Barker

Sophie: Carla Korbes

Octavian: Olivier Wevers

Ochs: Uko Gorter (but if he did the role, you'd feel sympathy for Ochs)

Italian Tenor: Jonathan Poretta

Cast PNB-2:

Marshallin: Jodie Thomas

Sophie: Mara Vinson

Octavian: Jordan Pacitti

Ochs: Flemming Halby

Italian Tenor: Lucien Postlewaite

Cast Arizona Ballet:

Marshallin: Natalia Magnicaballi

Sophie: Lisbet Companioni

Octavian: Astrit Zejnati

Ochs: Ib Andersen

Italian Tenor: Michael Cook

[bart]

Great work, Helene. I'm working on my own list(s). Casting is one of the apparently limitless things I don't have a clue how to do.

How do you see the Italian Tenor: big elegant, bravura variation? lots of leaps, jumps, turns, and incredibly soft landings and impossibly long finish? Vladimir Malakhov?

Query: how old should the Marschelllin be? I've been told the character is "old" only in comparison to the very young Octavian/Sophie. She is looking at age in the future, just beginnig to visualize its inevitability. "Time is a very strange thing." Amanda McKerrow? Kyra Nichols? Darci Kistler? The later Suzanne Farrell? Who's especially womanly and good at bittersweet?

Octavian seems a fit for one of those smallish, boyish, earnest dancers, full of enthusiasm for life. Herman Cornejo?

Ochs doesn't have to be old. Just delightfully full of himself and incapable (until the end) of self-doubt. Julio Bocca? Ethan Stiefel?

And what about Sophie? A young discovery from SAB or the corps? But with a every so slight steelliness that keeps her in the game until she gets her man?

[Helene]

I see the Italian tenor as a combination of virtuoso and good actor, to pull of the huff.

I see the Marshallin as worldly and elegant, with a womanly quality. I don't think Kistler is Marshallin material -- she's too sunny. I wouldn't have thought of Jodie Thomas, for example, if I hadn't seen her Desdemona in The Moor's Pavane.

I think Octavian would be the hardest part, because he's a late adolescent whose initiation is social as well as sexual. I think he'd try on Sophie a bit of what he learned from the Marshallin. So he'd have to have the ability to put on at least surface airs of elegance with a hint of sophistication, but at the same time, show the ardor and energy of adolescence. I think it would take a dancer who could really focus on his partner.

Ochs doesn't have to be ancient, but I would love to see the three men with Danish training -- Halby, Andersen, and Tomasson -- take on the character roles for which at least their early training prepared them. At least for the big gala fundraisers. (Think of the party afterwards )

[bart]

I think Octavian would be the hardest part, because he's a late adolescent whose initiation is social as well as sexual.  I think he'd try on Sophie a bit of what he learned from the Marshallin.  So he'd have to have the ability to put on at least surface airs of elegance with a hint of sophistication, but at the same time, show the ardor and energy of adolescence.  I think it would take a dancer who could really focus on his partner.

Ochs doesn't have to be ancient, but I would love to see the three men with Danish training -- Halby, Andersen, and Tomasson -- take on the character roles for which at least their early training prepared them.

You've convinced me about Ochs.

Octavian has always seemed to me someone "in love with love," and I really find it hard to bellieve his infatuation with Sophie (or, indeed, the Marschellin) in the same way he obviously feels it at the moment. I forsee other Sophies in his future. And each woman will end up forgiving him and loving him, just as the Marschallin does. So Octavian, while he focuses on each partner, also has a deeply suppressed side where he is also focusing on himself. Lots of young male partners unintentionally project this: staring in wonder at the girl while also sneaking a glance or two at the mirror.

[dirac]

bart writes:

Query: how old should the Marschelllin be? I've been told the character is "old" only in comparison to the very young Octavian/Sophie. She is looking at age in the future, just beginnig to visualize its inevitability.

The Marschallin is 32 or thereabouts, I think, but in that era she would be regarded as a settled married woman almost in middle age – at least 42 in our terms. So you could cast a relatively young ballerina and still have technically correct casting, but a contemporary audience wouldn’t necessarily understand immediately why she might be fretting about romance being behind her. (Think of Annette Bening in Valmont and Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons – Bening is really closer to the right age for Merteuil, but Close has the command and authority of maturity that the character needs.)

Antoinette Sibley would have been a beautiful Marschallin, I imagine.

[Anthony_NYC]

Various people have made orchestral suites from the opera, the most popular of which is the one by Arthur Rodzinsky--it includes most of the "big moments" in the score, including the famous trio. But at about twenty minutes (as I recall) you probably couldn't tell the whole story using it alone. By the way, it was not Strauss who arranged the familiar First Waltz Sequence from Rosenkavalier. It was done by Otto Singer.

[Farrell Fan]

A twenty-minute Rosenkavalier sounds just right to me for ballet purposes. The emotions may be complicated, but the plot isn't. And though the music is glorious, the final trio, coming at the end of a long evening in the opera house, invariably puts me to sleep. I recommend that Andrea Quinn conduct.

[dirac]

It was done with Otto Singer, but Strauss worked on it, or so I've read. I could, of course, have read wrong.

[shulie]

The opera does have such a "ballettish" plot and music it is a shame it cannot be made into a ballet- though I am absolutely in love with several parts of the opera- like the monologue of the Marschallin and the trio of the three female voices "Hab mir`s gelobt" for dramatic soprano (Marschallin), lyrical soprano (Sophie) and mezzo soprano/alto (Octavian). Just heavenly music! (besides being a ballet student I have a very own affiliation to opera since I too am a classical singer in training)

In today`s terms the Marschallin is a woman in the peak years of her life- she is not older than mid 40`s. The plot is set more than 250 years ago and back then a woman her age was considered an elder. Also in relationship to her lover Octavian who must be about 17 or 18 and Sophie who is in the same age range, maybe slightly younger (16 or 17) she definately feels old.

I`d love to see it as a ballet with a famous ballerina close to retirement from stage whose dancing mirros "wisdom" as Marschallin, a young male dancer with a boyish appearance and a great ability for petit allegro for Octavian, a young newcomer as Sophie and a great older dancer with comedian talents as Ochs.

Oh btw there actually IS a brief scene explicitly designed for a ballet dancer in a Strauss opera- the appearance of the young dancer in "Capriccio"- she has to dance a brief piece.

And in "Salome" take the "Dance of the Seven Veils" which in many productions due to not-so-elegant singers is taken over and danced by a ballet dancer.

[carbro]

Welcome to BalletTalk, shulie. It is a shame the estate won't permit the use of the score for ballet, as you seem ready to stage it already.

I don't know if it's necessary to use a senior ballerina as the Marschallin. I don't believe that casting realistically in terms of age is important in ballet. How many older dancers do we see dancing beautiful Juliets, Giselles, Swanildas? I've often seen Giselle danced by a 30-something or older, while her mother is portrayed by a relative youngster.

Please visit our Welcome Page and tell us a little about your background. Glad to have you on board!

[bart]

Welcome, shulie. I agree completely with your casting guidelines. The ballet will, I think benefit dramatic from age as well as stylistic differences. And the Marschellin needs the reflective qualities often associated with a mature artist.

Do you have any specific ideas as to which dancer(s) you'd cast in each of the three roles?

P.S. There's a post today in the NYCB forum that reports that Ashley Bouder will be dancing the ballerina role in Capriccio at the New York City Opera this month.

[shulie]

bart: I absolutely agree though I do not have concrete casting suggestions right now- so many great dancers out there who would fit.

Difficult to choose.

There currently is a Capriccio on stage in NYC opera? How great! It is a gem- being such a lovely opera but relatively unknown and only a few opera houses put it on stage. I personally have never seen it on stage simply because it was not played anywhere- there was a time when I went to opera almost once a week visiting four different houses! Even if a miracle happened and it would be put on stage again in Germany I am sure they would leave the part of the dancer out and let the whole scenario be set on the toilet, in a brothel or in a slaughterhouse.... "modern theater" :blush: (read the post on this board about Cinderella being set in a brothel and you know what I am talking about)

I have a nice recording of Capriccio I think from the 1970`s with Dietrich Fischer Dieskau as Count and Gundula Janowitz as Countess.

Whenever the part of the young dancer came up playing the record I danced it at home in front of the record player...

Edited September 3, 2005 by shulie

[bart]

The April/May 2006 Pointe Magazine has a review of a Bavarian State Ballet performance of Die Silberne Rose [The Silver Rose], a 3-act ballet by Australian choreographer Graeme Murphy "after Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavellier."

The review, by Horst Koegler, is entitled: "Munich's Tarnished Silver Rose." The performances were in December 2005.

The ballet does not use the music arranged by Strauss for the 1926 silent film mentioned by richard53dog earlier in this thread. QUOTE: "Instead, Murphy choreographed to a musical potpourri concocted by Murphy's Australian house composer, Carl Vine. Played by the Bavarian State Orchestera, ... the score sounded like Rachmaninov with a coating of Lliberace."

The Marchallin becomes an aging actress. Octavian, a dashing apprentise actor. And Ochs, a "pompous impressario." The plot itself is the same as in the opera. Koegler is critical of the production, music, dancers, and just about everything. "What might have materialized happily as an elegant danced opertta with melancholy overtones, became, in Murphy's well-crafted version, a mix between Holiday on Ice and a glitzy version of the fictdional kingdom of Ruritania."

("Well-crafted" seems an strange adjective for something the reviewer likes so little.)

P.S. This issue isn not up yet on Pointe's website, the address of which is http://www.pointemagazine.com/