“When it was new, Merrill and O’Hearn’s work sparkled, reflecting the piquancy of Strauss’s score and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s witty, learned libretto. But like any production left out in the sun a few decades, it gradually faded into mere decoration. The sets were dusted and periodically repainted, but they nevertheless grew stale. Der Rosenkavalier, a bittersweet parable of a society on the verge of convulsive transformation, became merely a plush, pretty nostalgia trip.” [New York Times]
Ancien regie
“But like any production left out in the sun a few decades, it gradually faded into mere decoration.”
By La Cieca La Cieca
James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.
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Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.