Lisa Simonis is transported back in time to a romantic past at Edinburgh’s historic Usher Hall for the latest performance from Scottish Opera.
Scottish Opera’s The Strauss Collection presented a repertoire of extracts from Richard Strauss’s operas with libretti by Hugo von Hofmannsthal.
The stellar programme included pieces from three operas: Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Arabella.
The sopranos Helena Dix and Rhian Lois, mezzo-soprano Hanna Hipp, and baritone Roland Wood performed with The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, conducted by Scottish Opera Music Director Stuart Stratford.
Finding our seats amongst the red velvet foldable chairs of the Grand Circle, I spotted some of the musicians warming up their instruments. That distinct sound of melodies and scales being practiced that build anticipation for what’s to come.
As attendees continued to pour into the venue, the remaining musicians took the stage revealing a full orchestra on stage with the strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. It felt like I was watching a story with a live soundtrack.
The concert started with a prologue from Ariadne auf Naxos. After the prologue, the Scottish Opera’s Music Director, Stuart Stratford, gave a short introduction to the performance, explaining what makes Strauss’s operas unique.
Stratford named the texture and playfulness of the middle section of the orchestra as unique to Strauss’s work, which makes the work luscious. The all-star cast included Helena Dix, one of today’s premiere dramatic sopranos.
Opera tells a story—one that is visceral and hits you like the strings are playing the chords of the heart and the vibrato is flipping through the pages of memories.
The overarching theme of the night was love, presented in different ways. Whether it be familiar love, unrequited love, new love, an affair, or dangerous love, each performance brought out a different dimension.
I couldn’t help but go down memory lane and return to memories from my own life. As I gazed across to the other side of the Grand Circle, I could see a couple sitting together, one head resting on the other’s shoulder. Funny how operas written in the early 20th century still hold such power.
The audience could follow along to the story thanks to an English translation of the original German text displayed on a screen suspended above the orchestra. The lyrics reveal the plot, the characters, and the emotions, all masterfully delivered, performed, and acted by the singers.
The musical score complements the storytelling terrifically. Some of the orchestra’s music is wonderfully fairytale-like and truly transports you to a magical realm. It was as if the orchestra sprinkled fairy dust on stage, holding the audience bewitched for two hours.
It’s rare to witness a full orchestra playing at such an exceptionally high level accompanied by four virtuoso opera singers.
The Strauss Collection evokes nostalgia, longing for that love that music so perfectly captures, and allowing oneself to experience the rollercoaster of emotions it evokes.
Following the success of the Scottish premiere of Daphne in 2023 and The Strauss Collection in 2025, I can only imagine what pieces the Scottish Opera will delight audiences with next.
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