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By ANDREW POWELL DRESDEN \u2014 Christian Thielemann<\/a> made his opera debut here yesterday (Nov. 18), thirty-seven long months after agreeing to replace Fabio Luisi as Chefdirigent<\/em> of the S\u00e4chsische Staatskapelle Dresden, effectively music director of the Semperoper<\/a> company. The vehicle, Uwe Eric Laufenberg<\/a>\u2019s 12-year-old, quasi-faithful staging<\/a> of Der Rosenkavalier<\/em> \u2014 notable for its Act II, set in a Trump high-rise complete with high-wire paparazzo window cleaner \u2014 looked a little clunky for the grand occasion, but the Munich Philharmonic\u2019s ex-boss unfurled his Strauss credentials effectively.<\/p>\n Early on, an out-of-balance woodwind musician sparred with Thielemann until a nifty ascending phrase triggered smiles. Eventually a refined steadiness was achieved across all sections of the orchestra and did not let up. In contrast to recent performances in Munich and Vienna \u2014 where handsome werktreuen<\/em> Otto Schenk<\/a> stagings dating to 1972<\/a> and 1968<\/a> hold sway, and where casts are gathered on longer purse strings \u2014 this traversal of Der Rosenkavalier<\/em> cohered musically: rhythms chugged or raced where needed, elsewhere pulsing their way with nonchalance; vocal lines prevailed through instrumental storms; climaxes rose without advance detection; waltzing came naturally.<\/p>\n Daniela Sindram<\/a> sang with warm impetuosity as the Knight, mooring the cast. Soile Isokoski<\/a> shaped and shaded the Feldmarschallin\u2019s music with poignant know-how. Veteran baritone Hans-Joachim Ketelsen<\/a>, jumping in for a sick Martin Gantner, found the high-lying duties of Faninal a bit strenuous. Also straining at the top, at least in Act I, was Wolfgang Bankl<\/a> as the pivotal Ochs. Sadly, his was the role most impaired by Laufenberg\u2019s comedy-defeating tendency to enrich the action, already finely calibrated by librettist Hofmannsthal. Daniela Fally<\/a> introduced a too-cute, small-voiced Sophie who blew easy chances to relate to her fellow protagonists.<\/p>\n The saintly-quiet Dresden audience, bewildered and agog at curtain at the effect of Strauss\u2019s Act III d\u00e9nouement<\/em> properly executed, just stayed put and applauded one call after another until the conductor effectively ordered an end with a low sweep of his arm. The production returns next June with a different cast. Thielemann\u2019s other 2012\u201313 Dresden stage engagements are Lohengrin<\/em> in January and, against type, Manon Lescaut<\/em> in March, for a grand total of twelve dates.<\/p>\n Photo \u00a9 Matthias Creutziger<\/p>\n Related posts:
\nPublished: November 19, 2012<\/span><\/p>\n
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