Opera Talk Arabella 11 18 2025

Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal collaborated as composer and librettist for over twenty years. Their musical union resulted in six operas with Der Rosenkavalier becoming their most successful and most popular one. Arabella, which Strauss called his ‘"second Rosenkavalier," was their last collaboration. Sadly, its completion was interrupted by the sudden death in 1929 of Hofmannsthal and the premiere would not take place for four more years. At first Arabella was criticized as being a weak imitation of Rosenkavalier, but over time it has found a place at the fringe of the current repertory. Jeffrey Engel will detail the history behind Arabella, explain its plot, and play some musical excerpts.