Title: Der Rosenkavalier
Composer: Richard Strauss
Streaming date: 17 June 2025, 12:30 (local time)
Platform:Wiener Staatsoper Play
Availability: Free live stream
Conductor: Adam Fischer
Production: Otto Schenk
Stage design: Rudolf Heinrich
Costume design: Erni Kniepert
Main cast:
- Feldmarschallin: Krassimira Stoyanova
- Octavian: Emily D’Angelo
- Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau: Günther Groissböck
- Sophie: Sabine Devieilhe
- Faninal: Adrian Eröd
- Leitmetzerin: Jenni Hietala
- Valzacchi: Norbert Ernst
- Annina: Stephanie Houtzeel
- A singer: Angel Romero
- Police investigator: Wolfgang Bankl
- Faninal’s steward: Devin Eatmon
- Notary: Marcus Pelz
- Milliner: Hannah-Theres Weigl
- Innkeeper: Jörg Schneider
On June 17, opera lovers around the world can enjoy Der Rosenkavalier live from the Vienna State Opera — entirely free via the Wiener Staatsoper’s streaming platform. This celebrated production by Otto Schenk, originally premiered in 1968 and lovingly revived in 2010, captures the opulent spirit and bittersweet elegance of Richard Strauss’s masterwork.
Adam Fischer leads a distinguished cast including Krassimira Stoyanova as the Marschallin, Emily D’Angelo as Octavian, Günther Groissböck as Baron Ochs, and Sabine Devieilhe as Sophie. With sets by Rudolf Heinrich and costumes by Erni Kniepert, the staging evokes a rococo world gently touched by Art Nouveau — perfectly aligned with Strauss’s richly layered score.
This performance offers a rare chance to witness the dynamic musical “spheres” that define the opera: the parlando passages, lyrical arias, and lilting waltzes that bring to life both comic and profoundly human moments. A must-watch for fans of Strauss and 20th-century opera.
Overview
Set in 18th-century Vienna, Der Rosenkavalier begins with the Marschallin and her young lover Octavian sharing a tender morning — only to be interrupted by the boorish Baron Ochs, who seeks help arranging his engagement. The Marschallin proposes Octavian as the official rose-bearer to deliver the silver rose to Ochs’s bride-to-be, Sophie.
When Octavian and Sophie meet, they fall in love at first sight. Sophie is repulsed by Ochs, and through a series of comedic deceptions, the Baron is exposed and humiliated. In the end, the Marschallin gracefully steps aside, allowing the young couple their future while quietly confronting the passing of time and lost love.
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