Richard Strauss premiered Der Rosenkavalier at Dresden’s Königliches Opernhaus in on 26 January 1911, and since then it has been one of the most significant contributions in the comic opera genre. Popularly translated as ‘The Knight of the Rose’, the musical comedy explores complex themes above its seemingly carefree love story. It owes its longevity to Strauss’ catchy tunes but also to the carefully crafted original libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. A classic of epic proportions is coming to the stage of Volksoper Wien in Vienna, and its aristocratic intrigue and convoluted love relations make for a timeless and memorable experience.
The four main characters in Der Rosenkavalier are the ageing Princess Marie Therese von Werdenberg, known as the Marschallin, her much younger lover count Octavian Rofrano, her rough and unsophisticated cousin Baron Ochs, and his young bourgeois fiancée Sophie von Faninal. When Octavian assumes the role of ‘Rosenkavalier’ and present a silver rose to Sophie on behalf of her betrothed Baron, sparks fly between the two youths. Soon it becomes clear they were meant to be together. With the help of the Marschallin who gracefully liberates Octavian of their romantic arrangement, the young lovers manage to carve out a ‘happily ever after’ for themselves.
