Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier Is April 15, 2023, Saturday Radio Broadcast

Summary: Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier is the April 15, 2023, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the 16th of the 2022-2023 season's 24 Saturday radio broadcasts.

Angela Gheorghiu sings Tosca in 2022-2023 season's Saturday matinee radio broadcast, April 8 (fourth spring performance; 13th of season's 15 performances), and Wednesday, April 12 (fifth spring performance; 14th of season's 15 performances): Angela Gheorghiu @angelagheorghiu, via Twitter March 20, 2023

Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier is the April 15, 2023, Saturday matinee radio broadcast, airing at noon, 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, as the 16th of the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

German composer Richard Georg Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949) set his musical score for Der Rosenkavalier ("The Knight of the Rose" or "The Rose Bearer") to a German libretto by Austrian librettist and writer Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (Feb. 1, 1874-July 15, 1929). Hofmannsthal's libretto numbered as the second of his six collaborations with Strauss. Hofmannsthal sourced his libretto from Les Amours du Chevalier de Faublas, a memoir-styled novel (roman-mémoires) by French playwright and writer Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvrai (June 12, 1760-Aug. 25, 1797), and a three-act comédie-ballet, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, by Molière, stage name of French actor and playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (Jan. 15, 1622-Feb. 17, 1673).

Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier premiered Thursday, Jan. 26, 1911, at Königliches Opernhaus (“Royal Opera House”), located on Theatreplatz, near the south bank of the Elbe River, in central Dresden, Saxony, east central Germany. The opera premiered in the second Königliches Opernhaus (“Royal Opera House”), which was constructed after the first building's destruction by fire on Tuesday, Sep. 29, 1869.

The United States premiere of Der Rosenkavalier took place Monday, Dec. 9, 1913, at the Metropolitan Opera's first building, located at 1411 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan's Garment Distrct. Der Rosenkavalier received 11 performances during the 1913-1914 season.

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's staging of Der Rosenkavalier marks the second revival of the new production debuted in the 2016-2017 season by Robert Carsen. The new production's first revival had occurred in the 2019-2020 season. The Canadian opera director had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, March 13, 1997, in the opera company's 104th performance of Eugene Onegin by Russian late Romantic era composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893).

The second revival of Carsen's production receives seven performances in the 2022-2023 season. The second revival opened Monday, March 27, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. The second through fourth performances were offered Friday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m.; Tuesday, April 4, at 7:00 p.m.; and Friday, April 7, at 7:00 p.m. The second revival's fifth through seventh, closing performances are scheduled for Tuesday, April 11, at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday matinee radio broadcast April 15, at noon, 12:00 p.m.; and Thursday, April 20, at 7:00 p.m.

Simone Young conducts all seven performances, including the Saturday matinee radio broadcast, April 15. The Canadian conductor had made her Met Opera debut in the opera company's 1,031st performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Lise Davidsen appears in all seven performances as Marschallin, the unhappy, time-conscious wife of a Field Marshal. The Norwegian lyric dramatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 29, 2019, as Lisa in the opera company's 72nd performance of Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades.

Erin Morley appears in all seven performances as Sophie, who is free to marry Octavian after Octavian's older lover, the Marschallin, cancels Sophie's arranged marriage to lecherous Baron Ochs. The American coloratura soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, as the First Madrigal in the opera company’s 211th performance of Puccini's Manon Lescaut.

Erin Morley had added Sophie to her Met Opera portfolio in the 2013-2014 Met Opera season during the 17th and last revival of American opera and stage director Nathaniel Merrill's (Feb. 8, 1927-Sep. 9, 2008) 1968-1969 new production. She reprised Sophie during the 2016-2017 season in the successor to Merrill's production, Robert Carsen's Der Rosenkavalier.

Samantha Hankey appears in all seven performances in the trouser role of Octavian, who has an affair with the Marschallin, disguises as chambermaid Mariandel, experiences mutual attraction with Sophie during his delivery of the traditional silver rose of engagement on behalf of Baron Ochs, turns Baron Ochs's planned seduction of him as Mariandel into a nightmare and contemplates happiness with Sophie after Marschallin cancels Baron Ochs's arranged marriage with Sophie and ends her affair with Octavian. The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, as Pantalis in the opera company's 68th performance of Mefistofele by Italian composer and librettist Arrigo Boito (Feb. 24, 1842-June 10, 1918).

Katharine Goeldner appears in all seven performances as Annina, who participates in Octavian's scheme to prevent Baron Ochs's marriage to Sophie. Her appearances as Annina mark her first reprisal of the role that she had added to her Met Opera portfolio in the 2019-2020 season's first revival of Carsen's Rosenkavalier production. The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, April 12, 2002, in the roles of Dress, Schoolboy and Page in the opera company’s 31st performance of Lulu by Austrian composer Alban Berg (Feb. 9, 1885-Dec. 24, 1935).

René Barbera appears as an Italian singer in the second revival's first three and fifth through seventh, closing performances, including the Saturday matinee radio broadcast, April 15. The American operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Oct. 04, 2016, as Lindoro in the opera company's 72nd performance of L’Italiana in Algeri by Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Thomas Ebenstein appears in all seven performances as Valzacchi, who effects Octavian's anti-Baron Ochs scheme. His appearances as Valzacchi mark his first reprisal of the role that he had added to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2019-2020 season's first revival of Carsen's Rosenkavalier production. The Austrian tenor's appearances in the second revival mark his first reprisal of the role in which he had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Dec. 13, 2019.

Brian Mulligan appears in all seven performances as Faninal, Sophie's father, whose perplexity at Baron Ochs's pretended unfamiliarity with Faninal or Sophie makes him ill. The American operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003, as a Watchman in the opera company's 56th performance of Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten.

Günther Groissböck appears in all seven performances as Baron Ochs, whose lecherous pursuit of Octavian disguised as chambermaid Mariandal occasions the cancellation of his arranged marriage to Sophie. The Austrian bass had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010, as Colline in the opera company’s 1,224th performance of Puccini's La Bohème.

Günther Groissböck's appearances as the second revival's Baron Ochs mark his second reprisal of the role that he had added to his Met Opera portfolio in the new production's debut season, 2016-2017.

René Barbera shares the role with Kang Wang, who sings the Italian singer in the second revival's fourth performance, Friday, April 7. The Australian-Chinese lyric tenor made his Met Opera debut Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, as Narraboth in the opera company's 158th performance of Strauss's Salome.

Robert Carsen’s production team comprises Paul Steinberg, set designer; Brigitte Reiffenstuel, costume designer; Philippe Giraudeau, choreographer. Carsen shares lighting design credits with Peter Van Praet.

American set designer Paul Steinberg had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012, in the opera company's 288th performance of Un Ballo in Maschera by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). German costume designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, in the opera company's 600th performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore. Belgian lighting designer Peter Van Praet had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, in the debut of Robert Carsen's new Falstaff production, during the opera company's 176th performance of Falstaff. French choreographer Philippe Giraudeau had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 25, 1996, in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of A Midsummer Night's Dream by English composer Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (Nov. 22, 1913-Dec. 4, 1976).

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the April 22, 2023, airing of Mozart’s Idomeneo at 1:00 p.m. The matinee performance numbers as the 17th of the season's 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Domingo Hindoyan conducts the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's spring performances of Puccini's Tosca as the second opera in his Met Opera portfolio; his wife, Sonya Yoncheva, sang her ninth Met Opera role in Giordano's Fedora, which opened as a new production for the 2022-2023 season's New Year's Eve gala, and her 10th Met Opera role in spring performances of Bellini's Norma: Domingo Hindoyan, via Facebook Jan. 6, 2023

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Erin Morley added Der Rosenkavalier's Sophie to her Met Opera portfolio in 2013-2014, in Met Opera's 17th revival of Nathaniel Merrill's 1968-1969 production; costumes designed by Robert O'Hearn: ERIN MORLEY @morley_erin, via Twitter March 22, 2023, @ https://twitter.com/morley_erin/status/1638733431126228993

(left) Günther Groissböck; (right) Günther Groissböck with Met Opera's 2023 conductor of Der Rosenkavalier, Simone Young: Günther Groissböck @GGboeck. "Dress rehearsal-day ⁦@MetOpera for #rosenkavalier. Trying to challenge ⁦@SYoungConductor in good old #carloskleiber / #kurtmoll tradition. Scroll down! @WrStaatsoper 1994.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/morley_erin/status/1638733431126228993

For further information:

“Debut: Erin Morley.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352344 Manon Lescaut {211} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/09/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352344

"Debut: Samantha Hankey." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357046 Mefistofele {68} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/08/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357046

"Debuts: Camilla Nylund, Thomas Ebenstein, Markus Eiche, Alexandra LoBianco, Matthew Grillis." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357344 Der Rosenkavalier {394} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/13/2019, Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 75 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org. (Debuts: Camilla Nylund, Thomas Ebenstein, Markus Eiche, Alexandra LoBianco, Matthew Grillis Broadcast/Streamed). Metropolitan Opera House. December 13, 2019. Broadcast/Streamed.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357344

"Debuts: David McVicar, Charles Edwards, Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Leah Hausman." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353605 New Production Il Trovatore {600} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/16/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353605

“Debuts: Dimitri Tiliakos, Günther Groissböck, Brandon Mayberry.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353654 La Bohème {1224} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/01/2010.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353654

"Debuts: Glenn Winslade, Brian Mulligan." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 350828 Die Frau ohne Schatten {56} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/3/2003. (Debuts: Glenn Winslade, Brian Mulligan) Metropolitan Opera House. December 3, 2003.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350828

"Debuts: Johannes Debus, Kang Wang, Nicholas Brownlee." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356554 Salome {158} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/05/2016, Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 74 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org. (Debuts: Johannes Debus, Kang Wang, Nicholas Brownlee Broadcast/Streamed). Metropolitan Opera House. December 5, 2016 Broadcast/Streamed.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356554

“Debuts: Katharine Goeldner, Daniel Sutin, Kristine Winkler.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 350037 Lulu {31} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/12/2002.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350027

"Debuts: Marianna Pizzolato, René Barbera, Rihab Chaieb." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356485 L'Italiana in Algeri {72} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/04/2016.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356485

"Debuts: Marianna Tarassova, Irina Arkhipova, Antonio Pappano, Robert Carsen, Michael Levine, Jean Kalman, Serge Bennathan." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 327650 New Production Eugene Onegin {104} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/13/1997. (Debuts: Marianna Tarassova, Irina Arkhipova, Antonio Pappano, Robert Carsen, Michael Levine, Jean Kalman, Serge Bennathan Review). Metropolitan Opera House. March 13, 1997. New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=327650

"Debuts: Paul Steinberg, Adam Silverman, Maxine Braham." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354641 New Production Un Ballo in Maschera {288} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/08/2012, Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 74 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org. (Debuts: Paul Steinberg, Adam Silverman, Maxine Braham Broadcast/Streamed Review). Metropolitan Opera House. November 8, 2012. Broadcast/Streamed. New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354641

“Debuts: Peter Van Praet, Paolo Fanale, Carlo Bosi, Christian Van Horn.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355173 Falstaff {176} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/06/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355173

“Debuts: Roberto Alagna, William Shimell, Simone Young.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 323890 La Bohème {1031} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/10/1996.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=323890

“Debuts: Rodney Gilfry, Nick Stahl, Peter Rose, Barry Banks, William Scot Murray, Nicholas Frisch, Benjamin Ungar, Tim Albery, Antony McDonald, Matthew Richardson, Philippe Giraudeau.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 326580 Metropolitan Opera Premiere A Midsummer Night’s Dream {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/25/1996.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=326580br />

"Debuts: Vasily Petrenko, Lise Davidsen, Igor Golovatenko, Patrick Cook, Mané Galoyan." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357330 The Queen of Spades {72} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/29/2019. Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 75 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355411

ERIN MORLEY @morley_erin. "Can’t help but get emotional returning to the role of Sophie @MetOpera in just a few days! My Rosenkavalier journey began at the Met in 2013 when I jumped in last-minute for the final run of Merrill’s production. All of Sophie’s emotions were my own during that run!" Twitter. March 22, 2023.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/morley_erin/status/1638733431126228993

Günther Groissböck @GGboeck. "Dress rehearsal-day ⁦@MetOpera for #rosenkavalier. Trying to challenge ⁦@SYoungConductor in good old #carloskleiber / #kurtmoll tradition. Scroll down! @WrStaatsoper 1994.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/morley_erin/status/1638733431126228993

Marriner, Derdriu. "Der Rosenkavalier Is Jan. 4, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, December 30, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/12/der-rosenkavalier-is-jan-4-2020-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Der Rosenkavalier Is the May 13, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 8, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/05/der-rosenkavalier-is-may-13-2017.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2022-2023 Season Has 24 Saturday Matinee Opera Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/11/met-operas-2022-2023-season-has-24.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "In this clip from the final dress rehearsal, sopranos @LiseDavidsen and @Morley_Erin and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey—as the Marschallin, Sophie, and Octavian—sing the breathtaking final trio. @SYoungConductor leads @RobertCarsen's staging. Opens Mar 27." Twitter. March 26, 2023.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1640075395268526082

"New Production: Der Rosenkavalier." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 217310 New production Der Rosenkavalier {201} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/23/1969. (Debuts: Celeste Scott, Elizabeth Anguish Review). Metropolitan Opera House. January 23, 1969. Benefit sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera Guild for the production funds. New production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=217310

"New Production: Der Rosenkavalier." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356690 New production Der Rosenkavalier {385} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/13/2017, Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 74 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org. (Debuts: Markus Brück, Helene Schneiderman, Scott Conner, Billy Conahan, Patrick Stoffer, Sidney Fortner, Tom Watson, Scott Conner, Edward Hanlon, Marco Jordão Broadcast/Streamed). Metropolitan Opera House. April 13, 2017. Broadcast/Streamed. New production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356690

"United States Premiere: Der Rosenkavalier." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 55260 United States Premiere Der Rosenkavalier {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/9/1913. (Debut: Alfred Sappio Review). Metropolitan Opera House. December 9, 1913. United States Premiere.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=55260