A drop of eau de Cologne

Saturday evening Kiri te Kanawa sang the first of her final two Marschallins at the Cologne Opera House. The reason for this rather unexpected return to one of her signature parts seems to have been a sentimental one:

Apparently, she simply could not stand the thought she would never again sing any of her great Strauss roles on stage. The intimate and very pleasant Cologne Opera House was selected for the occasion. In the eighties, Te Kanawa had scored huge successes there as Donna Elvira, Nozze Countess, and Arabella, but had not been back since.

Günther Krämer’s Rosenkavalier from 2002 is relatively traditional, and by now looks it age. It also looks cheap: inspired by an exotic landscape by Henri Rousseau, accessorized with white plastic garden furniture. The Gürzenich Orchestra was conducted by Patrik Ringborg.

When the curtain opened, we saw a tableau of a fully dressed couple, standing up: Octavian (Kammersängerin Claudia Mahnke) holding the Marschallin in his arms. Te Kanawa looked gorgeous, in an enormous white dress, and with her own coiffure.

Vocally, she needed a a while to warm up, and then there were the inevitable nerves. As a result, most of what came before “mein lieber Hippolyte” sounded tentative, with phrases sometimes more mumbled than sung. The highly sympathetic and experienced Mahnke really helped her through these awkward moments, and soon Dame Kiri regained herself, and started to actually sing.

Act I ended gloriously, with an very touching monologue. Te Kanawa is a Marschallin who does not mess with the part. There is plenty of feeling, but no wallowing in self-pity. The interpretation has not deepened notably over the years – but it was obvious to all last night that singing it meant an awful lot to her. It was urgent and tender at the same time. In fact, this was the most beautiful version of the piece I have ever heard.

Sexy Bjarni Thor Kristinsson was a wonderful Ochs. I loved his pink briefs! Mahnke’s Octavian was gorgeous, touching in acts one and two, and genuinely funny in act three. Jutta Böhnert’s Sophie could not have been better.

In act three, in which the previously referenced Ochs undergarments appear, the Marschallin enters from the auditorium – a nice coup. The trio was heavenly. Not an ugly sound was heard, the familiar te Kanawa sound miraculously soaring above it all.

The thunderous applause and bravos lasted for at least eight curtain calls. Of course, an entire career was applauded too, this Marschallin Kiri Te Kanawa sang last night was exceptional enough to merit all the adulation by itself.

Even so, this performance was much more than a star vehicle with just one point of interest. It was a great performance of an opera for which the entire cast should be praised.

The last chance to see Kiri’s Marschallin is on Saturday, April 17, at 18:30. A recital with Julian Reynolds follows on Saturday April 24, at 19:30.