COVID-19 concert series -
The Presentation of the Rose
from Der Rosenkavalier
by Richard Strauss
Performed by Eden Tremayne - soprano
and Kimberley-Ann Bartczak, accompanist
Recorded live on March 30, 2020 at the Mamdani Opera Centre
Filmed and edited by Marc Lavallée
"The Presentation of the Rose" is an excerpt from Act II of Richard Strauss’ 1911 comic opera Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose), set in 18th century Vienna.
Young and innocent Sophie is offered a ceremonial silver engagement rose,
perfumed to resemble the scent of a real one. It is delivered by the young, well-born knight (or cavalier of the title), Octavian, acting on behalf of a much older suitor. However, both young people are instantly smitten with each other, vowing that they will remember this moment until death.
I am, gracious Sir, so grateful to you-
I am, gracious Sir, forever grateful to you.
This has an entrancing fragrance, like roses, like the living ones –
how heavenly, how unearthly, like roses from the holiest paradise.
Don’t you agree?
It’s like a greeting from heaven.
The scent is nearly stronger than I can bear.
It seizes one tightly, as if strands were tugging at the heart.
Where or when have I ever been so blest?
I would seek this moment again, though in doing so
I might fully die of happiness.
Except I won’t die. That is going too far.
This single blessed moment, dwelling in time and eternity,
is one I’ll never forget ‘till the end of my life.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Like so many of you, as we face the daily challenges that grip the entire world as a result of COVID-19 we find ourselves looking for small moments of joy, connection and comfort. Whether it's a listening to a sonnet, watching a funny video, doing yoga, or baking bread, these acts are gifts that soothe those parts of us that are suffering, and help us to brave another day marked by uncertainty, loneliness and loss.
In recent weeks, a bright spot for us has been the incredible conversations we've had with our patrons while processing exchanges, refunds and donations from cancelled performances in our 2019-20 season. Hearing so many stories about how the gift of opera found its way into your lives and just how much the music continues to mean to so many people has brought us a renewed sense of purpose, and anticipation for the day we are able to come together to experience it again.
If you have a story you'd like to share, we hope you will. You can do so either in the comments below or by e-mail at [email protected].
For our performers, in addition to being their profession, making music is also a great source of comfort and we've worked with our 2019-20 Emerging Artists and our incredible Resident Conductor and Repetiteur Kimberley-Ann Bartczak to create a series of short videos that feature them performing musical selections that bring them hope and optimism.
We’ll be releasing a new video every Tuesday and Thursday for the next few months, so please follow our channel to receive notices when new videos are released. Enjoy!
You can also find links to all the videos and a special introduction by Artistic Director Bramwell Tovey and Resident Conductor and Repetiteur Kimberley-Ann Bartczak here: https://calgaryopera.com/news/thegiftof opera.