Intermezzo

About

Richard Strauss's Intermezzo at Glimmerglass Opera (1990) was staged by Leon Major and reviewed midway through its run on August 16, 1990. Major’s production introduced broad comic business into a refined comedy of manners, which some critics felt diluted the opera’s subtle emotional interplay. Orchestral interludes—central to the work’s inner life—were often overlaid with stage action such as waiters performing a skaters’ waltz and juggling, hurried maids, and a slow-moving butler, distracting from the musical argument. Andrew Jackness’s scenic design was praised for elegant geometry and a wintery pastel palette, with an ingeniously realized Alpine toboggan run. Martha Mann’s costumes complemented the sets effectively. The production was a co-production with New York City Opera, which later revived Major’s staging in 2010.