Richard Strauss Schlagobers at Gaertnerplatztheater Munich

Xl_schlagobers1 © Marie Laure Briane

This rarely performed ballet of Richard Strauss is full of lovely late romantic music, enriched by expressionist and Vienese waltz contrasts. Schlagobers is the Austrian word for whipped cream and that brings you to the story. A little boy is invited by his aunt to the famous Vienese pastry shop Dehmel, on an all you can eat basis. This ends up with a visit at the hospital and traumatic encounters with all his sweet favorites.

Based on the successful appearence of his first ballett Josephslegende in 1914 just before WWI, Richard Strauss wanted to compose further for ballet. But it took 10 years and his own personal engegement in writing the libretto untill the premiere of his second full evening ballet. Schlagobers is based on the classical form of a serie of performances : pas de deux, menuet, waltz.

Thanks to the Gaertnerplatztheater in Munich, this neglected composition is brought back to life under the direction of choreograph Karl Alfred Schreiner. It looks like he fell himself in fantasy. The evening lacks of flow and movement, as well as harmonious sequences presenting the various performances and characters on stage. Robots looking like waitors dance among artistic sweets like sugar or chocolate. The final foam party representing whipped cream covering all the actions culminates in a voluminous uncontrolled bacchanal of white dancers in latex gliding on the stage. The audience gets overflowed with pictures and performers.

Marco Comin and his orchestra are placed behind the stage on a tribune, so the sounds lacks of presence and feels more like ambient music. It also lacks of sensibility in the interpretation of the humoresque composition style of Richard Strauss, adding to every sweet detail a musical coverage of taste. The variety of melodic themes needs well pointed and accurate performing in order to avoid a tasteless menu - just like cooking or baking. The mainly young audience is thrilled and gives a hearty thanks at the end of the performance. Despite the nuanced realization, it is definitely a delicious and tasteful recipe by Richard Strauss.

 

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