Composer: Richard Strauss
(2011 Metropolitan Opera staging)
An opera about opera. The central questions is “What matters more? Music or poetry?” Capriccio implies, and I agree, that in opera you cannot have one without the other. You need poetry to express an idea, and you need the music to feel the idea. The former inspires the latter, and latter is given depth with the former. (Does the structure of that sentence work?)
This staging is set in the early 20th century, and as usual the costumes are absolutely sublime. Renee Fleming has this one purple dress that I totally want.
Art about art that celebrates art. This opera was fun, and I’d watch it again. I’m surprised I haven’t come across it more. Theatre-people love to talk about theatre, and this is the perfect opera for everyone involved in the show to just revel in their love of theatre.
