DER ROSENKAVALIER

28 May – 29 June 2026

Der Rosenkavalier weaves opulent, bittersweet waltzes with lush late-Romantic orchestration, evoking both nostalgic elegance and the ache of time passing. Strauss’s co-creator, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, wrote of a world of ceremony and lavish ritual, in which the characters are helplessly entangled.

This is the much-anticipated return of Bruno Ravella and Gary McCann’s stylish and opulent 2021 production, which had to be performed to a limited audience after lockdown. Making their Garsington debuts are conductor Finnegan Downie Dear, Matilda Sterby, Andreas Bauer Kanabas and Niamh O’Sullivan, whose Octavian at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées received great acclaim. We are also delighted to welcome back Soraya Mafi as Sophie and Robert Murray as Valzacchi.

Set in Vienna, the story follows the Marschallin, her young lover Octavian, and romantic entanglements involving mistaken identity. Blending farce, romance and poignant wisdom, this cherished opera is a tribute to the beauty and power of the female voice.

Co-production with Santa Fe Opera and Irish National Opera

Sung in German with English supertitles