Arrest That Opera

Last Night Peggy and I went to the Lyric Opera again.  Twice in one week. It was Das Rosenkavilier by Richard Strauss.  I had heard it on the radio broadcast from New York.  I had never seen it. 

 

I guess superlatives leave me a little short.  It was fabulous in every manifestation you can imagine. 

 

The music was sublime.  4 hours never went by so fast. I didn't fidget in my seat as I usually do.  I just sat entranced. 

 

The costuming extraordinary.  It was very 18th century Vienna.  Classical. but beautiful without being ostentatious.

 

The sets were why I love our Chicago Lyric Opera company.  Intricate, believable, clever.

 

And the singers.  I know why the "male lead" is a trouser role but a young tenor would do as well and maybe be a little funnier.  Susan Graham was and is a great actor and played the part of a man playing the part of a woman.

 

I loved it all.  I have always loved certain operas but this one was exceptional.  Listenening to it will never be the same.  I will see this again. 

 

BUT, don't you hate when there's a but?  There is one issue I wondered about. 

The story starts and ends with the conflict over an affair between a character of high Royalty (a Marshallin) of perhaps late 30's or early 40's.  She has a young lover.  Really young.  17 years young.

 

OK, I understand, this was 18th century.  Things were different.  But, today we are putting 30 something female teachers in jail for having sex with teenage boys.  Just like in this opera.   I know, opera is full of all kinds of weird sexual stuff.  Wagner is famous for it.  But, this poignant love triangle plays itself out and you find yourself for feeling sorry for the older woman who is losing her little boy sex object to a young woman he is going to marry. 

 

I'm not defending teachers who seduce their students.  I am saying, maybe it was ever thus.  Maybe we don't understand this whole woman man boy girl thing well.  Maybe men and women are different.  Maybe the whole attempt to level the playing field and attempt to make men and women the same is wrong. 

 

Just asking.

 

On the other hand, as I got home at 2 pm (the opera got over at nearly midnight) I was still floating and singing "Ohne Mich". 

 

See this opera if you ever get the chance.  It's Grand.