Richard Strauss – 100 Years of *Der Rosenkavalier*.
Installation for the exhibition
in the Ceremonial Hall of the Austrian National Library
, November 6, 2010 – March 6, 2011
“Like everything in the play—both real and fictional…”
Concept for the room installation: Christof Cremer
In Richard Strauss’s opera *Der Rosenkavalier*, based on a libretto by Hugo von Hoffmannsthal, the central theme is the main character’s—the Feldmarschallin’s—realization of her own mortality. The librettist sets the story in Vienna during the early years of Empress Maria Theresa’s reign. This roughly corresponds to the period when the State Hall was built; thus, the State Hall could be one of the opera’s settings. In the center of the Ceremonial Hall, a mirrored platform is constructed around the sculpture of Emperor Charles. The edge of the platform is adorned with all the figurines created by Alfred Roller for the premiere of *Der Rosenkavalier*. Four different groupings of figures are reenacted on the mirrored platform. These represent the four central scenes of the opera. The figures rotate around their own axes; the viewer first sees Roller’s figurines and then sees themselves, as the backs of each figure are also mirrored. The viewer can step into the roles of the opera’s characters and, at the same time, experience the Field Marshal’s Wife’s self-realization. The viewer thus becomes a participant. The Baroque space is also reflected in the platform, forming a sort of stage set. Like a music box, the figures’ movements are accompanied by a waltz from *Der Rosenkavalier* as background music.
