The 1891 Fredonia Opera House will screen Richard Strauss' comic opera of love and errors Der Rosenkavalier as the final presentation in its Live at the Met Summer Encore Series on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Der Rosenkavalier, Strauss' masterpiece and most sumptuous work, is the story of a love triangle between the Marschallin, an aging Austrian noblewoman whose husband has neglected her; her teenage lover, Octavian; and the young woman who captures Octavian's heart, Sophie. Within a jovial and sparkling plot laced with trickery and misunderstanding, the two young lovers discover life and love. But conscious that the time of love has its seasons, and that even the sunset of youth merits a smile, the opera also presents the nostalgia and melancholy of a sublime farewell. "Do you not understand when something is at an end?" the Marschallin reproaches her husband the Baron. And so the twilight elegance of Der Rosenkavalier is condensed into a single line in the opera's finale.
In this presentation from the Met's 2009-10 season, the Met revived one of the oldest productions in its repertory, the beloved 1969 staging by Nathaniel Merrill and Robert O'Hearn. Superstar soprano Renee Fleming stars as the aristocratic Marschallin with Susan Graham in the trouser role of her young lover. Edo de Waart conducts a cast that also includes Kristinn Sigmundsson as the lecherous Baron and Christine Schafer as Sophie, the young girl who unexpectedly captures Octavian's heart.
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Soprano Renee Fleming (left) stars as the aristocratic Marschallin with Susan Graham in the trouser role of her young lover, Octavian, in Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. This Live at the Met encore will be screened in high definition at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House on Thursday starting at 6:30 p.m.
Live at the Met live opera broadcasts and Summer Encores screenings are made possible by Dr. James M. and Marcia Merrins, who funded the purchase of the satellite transmission and projection equipment used in the series. Support for the series also comes from the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County. Opera House media partners are WDOE-AM and Kix Country 96-FM radio, in Dunkirk.
Tickets to the Live at the Met Summer Encores Series operas are $15 and are available in advance by calling 679-1891 or visiting the Box Office Tuesday Friday, 1-5 p.m. They also may be purchased online anytime at www.fredopera.org.
