STRAUSS : CAPRICCIO

Richard Strauss's Capriccio

Radio New Zealand Concert network
Sunday 12th of June 2016 at 6 - 9 pm
Sunday 15th of June 2014 at 6.03 -8,25 pm
Sunday 8th of May 2011 at 3.03 - 6 pm
Sunday 24th of August 2008 at 3 - 5.30 pm

INTRODUCTION
PREVIEW
REVIEW
LIBRETTO (Deutsch)
LIBRETTO (English, with detailed synopsis)
2016
STRAUSS: Capriccio, an opera in one act (13 scenes)
In his final opera, which Strauss subtitled "A Conversation Piece for Music", a widowed French Countess, has to choose between a musician and a poet for her affections, and words and music for a birthday entertainment
Countess...................... Renée Fleming
Clairon......................... Anne Sofie von Otter
Count........................... Bo Skovhus
Flamand....................... William Burden
Olivier.......................... Auden Iversen
La Roche..................... Peter Rose
Chicago Lyric Opera Chorus & Orch/Andrew Davis
2014
Countess........................... Kiri Te Kanawa
Count................................ Håkan Hagegård
Flamand........................... Uwe Heilmann
Olivier.............................. Olaf Bär
La Roche.......................... Victor von Halem
Clairon............................. Brigitte Fassbaender
Taupe................................ Werner Hollweg
Italian singer.................... Anna Rita Taliento
Italian tenor...................... Roberto Saccà
Major-domo..................... Gottfied Hornik
Servant............................. Hans Hotter
Vienna Phil/Ulf Schirmer (Decca 444 405)

Capriccio, opera in one act; music by Richard Strauss; text by Clemens Krauss, a famous conductor of Strauss's music; first performance in Munich in 1942 (note the date); the setting is a castle near Paris, around 1775 (again notice the date, when French aristocrats still had their heads on). The title "Capriccio" assures us that there will be no upsetting scenes such as in in Poulenc's "Dialogue of the Carmelites" (set in the same period).

This was the last opera of Richard Strauss. A "capriccio" is "a lively and usually short musical composition". This one runs non-stop for 140 minutes, more than two hours

There is a famous monophonic recording of the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, produced by Walter Legge, and so Mrs Legge (alias Elisabeth Schwarzkopf) got the main role, of the countess. Kiri Te Kanawa takes this part, very ably, in a video version; it is a San Francisco production, conducted by the left-handed Donald Runnicles (also seen batonning sinistrally in a documentary about "Parsifal"). It is sung in German with English subtitles (sighs of relief all round). But this audio version will not be so amenable.

I would characterize this opera as a sophisticated comedy of manners. Our friend Rameau gets a mention (our local video opera group will remember our afternoons with Les Indes Galantes, and Radio NZ has broadcast Castor and Pollux), and also Gluck (his Orpheus has been on our menu). Krauss describes it as "a musical conversation piece", dealing with the controversy that raged in Paris in Gluck's time: which is more important in an opera, the words or the music? It could also be titled: "Let's make an opera".

It is the young beautiful widowed Countess Madeleine's birthday. The party is in her salon. Flamand is composing the music for her, Olivier is writing the words. They are also competing for her affections, while her brother, the count, is chasing an actress named Clairon ('Bugle'). Madeleine can not make up her mind between her suitors; she will tell them in the morning. Will she choose them both, and have a perfect "wedding" of words and music?! Meanwhile, Kiri's persona looks as if she will be happy with her chief manservant for the night. But I could be misreading her face.

Each of the two protagonists, Olivier and Flamand, have a private tête-à-tête with Madeleine, and she starts her preliminary agonizing over the choice, until the hot chocolate is served.

The Count now comes in, excited about the praise his actress-friend Clairon has bestowed on his acting ability. He learns that Olivier's sonnet (which he had previously recited, rather badly) has been set to music, and he is displeased; he is on the side of the word-spinners, not the music-grinders. Along the way, Clairon mentions a play entitled Tancredi (eventually this became a Rossini opera).

A little ballet piece (a pas de deux) is inserted, introduced by La Roche, to show the wide range of theatrical experience (this ought to be the second act, a requirement in Paris, as Wagner was forcefully reminded when he staged Tannhäuser there and wilfully and disastrously put his ballet in Act One; but there is no break in this 140-minute "musical conversation-piece" of Krauss und Strauss).

La Roche avers that the basic defect of opera is the deafening noise of the orchestra; the voices are drowned out by bombast; the singers are forced to scream. The Count declares that it is no use trying to understand the meaning of the words because you can not hear any of them. La Roche bemoans the dying of Italian fine singing (implying that bel canto has become can belto).

We are treated to an Italian duet by the Italian singers; the text is by Metastasio (in Palmerston North we had Don Bewley, a connoisseur of this poet and librettist). "If I die by your side, my idol.... Who has ever felt such sweet happiness/ cruel torment?... Farewell my love, light of my eyes."

La Roche's scenario for staging the birth of Pallas Athena from the head of Zeus is mocked by the company ("he must have got a headache"). He then outlines his idea for The Fall of Carthage with great theatrical machinery and special effects. Finally he speaks of a new opera with real people like themselves, not mythological or historical. (Strauss wrote one of these about a spat he had with his volatile soprano wife, in Intermezzo, words and music by the composer.) This new opera could be a birthday present for the Countess.

All depart, and the menservants begin gossiping about their betters, and proposing to put on a marionette show for the Countess. However, their chief tells them they can have the night off. The Count will be away with the actress, helping her with her lines (or whatever), and there will be no guests in the house.

Another comical scene ensues. Monsieur Taupe comes out of hiding. He had been asleep and had missed his transport back to town. He explains to the major-domo the importance of the prompter's role; every one is dependent on him; when he falls asleep the players freeze on stage, and the audience wakes up.

Now comes Madeleine's lengthy moonlight monologue. Flamand and Olivier will meet her separately in the morning to talk about her opera. She is suffering from the "torn between two lovers" syndrome, and asks her reflection in the mirror to assist her in her choice. Already there have been suggestions that she could have them both, on the side. Meanwhile she will be having dinner alone, with her faithful manservant. (Kiri flicks her fan and gives him a saucy glance, as if to ask what is on the menu tonight. Another case of what the butler saw, or, on this occasion, did?)

Sunday 8th of May 2011 at 3.03 - 6 pm
Countess....................... Renée Fleming
Clairon.......................... Sarah Connolly
Flamand........................ Joseph Kaiser
Olivier........................... Russell Braun
Count............................ Morten Frank Larsen
La Roche...................... Peter Rose
Monsieur Taupe............ Bernard Fitch
Italian singer.................. Olga Makarina
Major-Domo................ Michael Devlin
Metropolitan Opera Orch/Andrew Davis

Sunday 24th of August 2008 at 3 - 5.30 pm
STRAUSS: Capriccio, an opera in one act
Countess Madeleine...... Renée Fleming
Count............................ Bo Skovhus
Flamand........................ Michael Schade
Olivier........................... Adrian Eröd
La Roche...................... Franz Hawlata
Clairon.......................... Angelika Kirchschlager
Taupe........................... Peter Jelosits
Italian singers................. Jane Archibald, Cosmin Ifrim
Major-Domo................ Clemens Unterreiner
Vienna State Opera Chorus & Orch/Philippe Jordan
(recorded in the State Opera, Vienna by Austrian Radio)
Looking at the list of names for this Vienna production, my mind is a blank, except when my eyes light on Renée Fleming. Our cup of chocolate will be 'creamy'! At the halfway point, the aristocratic heroine tells the servants: "We will have chocolate [hot cocoa drink] served here". That, of course, will be the cue for your tea-lady to bring in the brew and biscuits (chocolate bikkies, which you can dip in your cup and thus tastefully turn your tea into cocoa, if you like).

More at the Wikipedia article, with a link to a copy of the German libretto
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capriccio_(opera)

http://www.opera-guide.ch/libretto.php?id=363&uilang=de&lang=de