Word: octavians
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Dates: during 1934-1934
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...curtain goes up on her regal bed chamber, horns sound exuberantly and woodwinds whisper racy innuendoes. The fun begins. A youth, Octavian, has spent the night with the Marschallin. Trapped there in the early morning, he hastily dons petticoats, pretends to be a maid. Enter a fat old Baron who promptly sets to ogling and tweaking her (him). From then on the amorous Baron is never sure whether his path is being crossed by a lovely maid or a courtly rival. True love, young, starlit and sudden, comes to the stage when Octavian, clad in shining satin and bearing...
Strauss wrote Octavian's part for a mezzo-soprano. Last week's impersonator was Eva Hadrabova, a rangy 27-year-old Czech whose figure is better than her voice. The Sophie was Elisabeth Schumann, longtime friend of Strauss, whose clear thread-like voice perfectly suited the demure fluttery young girl she was supposed to be. Basso Emanuel List made the Baron's comedy as broad as his beam, as obvious as the tuba which kept tabs...