Der Rosenkavalier

Director: Hedvig Almquist

Costume and Set designer: Serene Liu

Introduction

Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera set in 18th-century Vienna; it follows the Marschallin, a noblewoman who has a young lover, Octavian. However, she realizes he will leave her for someone younger. Meanwhile, her cousin Baron seeks to marry the wealthy Sophie and entrusts Octavian as his “Rose Knight” to present a silver rose. Octavian and Sophie fall in love, and with the Marschallin’s help, she allows the young to be together

SET: Location: Europe

Time: 1910s-modern

Reason1: original opera written in 1910s,and the opera’s background is 1740s

Reason2:Octavian’s attitude towards love is really modern

Reason3: Marschallin worried about time, age

Reason 4: Octavian’s gender transition ,in opera he twice cross-dress as a woman

Research

Storyboard

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

Face Sketch

Octavian

Sophie

Marschallin

Costume and set Sketch

Marschallin gets stuck by the furniture, symbolising that she is always worried, always anxious.

She is locked in unreal love; by her age, she worries her young lover will leave her as soon as possible.

Act 1

Act 1-2

Act 3

Act 4