Synopsis

Ever since her first Met performances as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier in 2000, Renée Fleming has been celebrated as one of the most compelling interpreters of the role. In this Live in HD transmission, broadcast nearly two decades later, the silver-voiced American soprano sings her final performance as the elegant princess coming to grips with the persistent passage of time. Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča delivers a commanding portrayal as Octavian, the title “Knight of the Rose” and the Marschallin’s impetuous young lover, in Robert Carsen’s madcap new production—which sets the action in 1911, the year of the work’s premiere. As the plucky young heiress Sophie, Erin Morley sings with a radiantly beautiful soprano, while bass Günther Groissböck offers a larger-than-life portrayal of Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau, the outlandish nobleman lusting after every woman in sight. And tenor Matthew Polenzani excites with his cameo appearance as the Italian Singer in Act I. Maestro Sebastian Weigle leads a buoyant account of Strauss’s beloved score, which incorporates Viennese waltzes, raucous comedy, and the composer’s characteristically vivid palette of orchestral color.