Richard Jones’ well-cast take on Richard Strauss has masterly touches galore.

Glyndebourne, UK
May 24, 2014

Following the opening night reviews earlier in the week there is a sense of life imitating art. In Act Two of Der Rosenkavalier, Baron Ochs appraises the physical potential of Sophie his bride-to-be and she declares it feels like being at a horse auction. Much has been said about the way some male critics felt entitled to comment on the physical shape of Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught, and for me they behaved no better than the Baron himself.

If there was an audience prize that could be awarded at Glyndebourne then last night it went to Erraught. Appreciation for her performance was overwhelming and this was richly deserved. In his published response to the backlash against the critics’ comments, Guy Dammann, Chair of the Critics’ Circle’s Music Section, said that critics were not dispensing misogyny, just defending the life enhancing beauty of the art form. Maybe he should have asked the Glyndebourne audience who clearly disagreed with him.

A Richard Jones production will frequently challenge audience expectations. He loves making visual jokes on stage but they are always for a purpose: to confirm the intellectual...