Arabella by Strauss — The Last Waltz of Old Vienna

Imagine Vienna at twilight—the chandeliers still shimmer, but the light has turned to amber. The year is 1860, and Richard Strauss’s Arabella spins us into a city dancing on the edge of its own decline. The Strauss of Der Rosenkavalier returns here, two decades later in his career, to waltz once more through themes of love, social pretense, and yearning—but this time, the steps are slower, the tone more wistful. Arabella isn’t just a romantic comedy; it’s a farewell letter to an era that knew how to dance but didn’t know how to stop.

The Composer and His Collaborator

Strauss wrote Arabella in the early 1930s—decades after his earlier triumphs had made him the darling (and occasional scandal) of the opera world. The librettist was again Hugo von Hofmannsthal, his long-time partner in art, who had given Strauss Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier, and Ariadne auf Naxos. Their collaboration was one of the richest in operatic history, though it ended tragically: Hofmannsthal died suddenly in 1929, just as Arabella was nearing completion. The composer finished the opera alone, making it as much a memorial as a masterpiece.

Premiering in Dresden in 1933, Arabella marked the end of the Strauss-Hofmannsthal era and, symbolically, the end of Vienna’s golden one. The waltz still plays, but the orchestra knows it’s the last dance.

Story Summary: Sisters and Suitors

At the center stands Arabella, daughter of Count Waldner, a once-wealthy aristocrat now teetering on the brink of ruin. The family’s future depends on Arabella’s marriage—preferably to a rich suitor. Her younger sister Zdenka, disguised as a boy to save on the cost of two dowries (an opera plot device if there ever was one), secretly loves Matteo, a young officer who in turn pines for Arabella.

Arabella, poised and perceptive, dreams of “the right man”—someone honest and unpretentious who will love her as she truly is. Enter Mandryka, a rough-edged landowner from the provinces, wealthy but unpolished, who falls for her at first sight after hearing of her goodness. They meet at the carnival ball, where flirtations swirl like confetti and misunderstandings pile up as fast as champagne corks.

When Matteo mistakes Zdenka’s secret letters (written under Arabella’s name) for genuine affection, scandal nearly erupts. Arabella’s dignity and Mandryka’s temper both teeter on the edge—but forgiveness triumphs. In one of Strauss’s most tender finales, Arabella brings Mandryka a glass of water as a gesture of reconciliation and acceptance. No grand aria, no explosion of orchestral glory—just a quiet offering of trust.

Music and Meaning

Strauss’s score for Arabella glitters with his trademark orchestral shimmer, but beneath the Viennese grace lies something more introspective. The melodies waltz, yes—but with the melancholy knowledge that time is passing. The opera’s harmonic language leans toward late Romantic opulence, yet its emotional palette feels modern in its restraint.

Arabella herself is one of Strauss’s most human heroines—neither a tragic victim nor a mythic figure, but a woman who sees through the pretense of her society and insists on sincerity. If Der Rosenkavalier is about the loss of youth, Arabella is about the maturity that comes when illusion fades.

Thematic Resonance Today

There’s something strikingly contemporary in Arabella’s world of glittering façades and precarious futures. The Waldners’ obsession with appearances, their desperate balancing act between wealth and ruin, could easily play out in today’s social-media age. And Arabella’s longing for authenticity—her quiet rebellion against transactional love—feels like a voice that transcends centuries.

In a sense, Strauss gives us the eternal story of growing up: learning that the fairytale ending is not the ball but the morning after, when the lights come on and we must decide who we truly are.

At the Met: A Glimpse of Elegance

The Metropolitan Opera’s Arabella (most recently seen in its Live in HD broadcast) offered audiences a rare chance to bask in Strauss’s lush yet delicate orchestration. Set amid Art Deco splendor, the production reimagined old Vienna with cinematic flair—crisp tailoring, mirrored ballrooms, and just enough irony to keep the nostalgia from curdling. As the soprano’s silvery tone floated over the orchestra, one could almost feel Strauss himself tipping his hat to the past.

Closing Reflection

In the end, Arabella isn’t about the glittering world it portrays—it’s about what’s left when the glitter fades. It’s an opera that trades spectacle for subtlety, reminding us that love’s truest expression may be found not in the grand gesture but in a simple act of faith, like offering a glass of water.

Arabella asks us to look past appearances, to waltz one last time with honesty before the lights dim. And in doing so, it leaves us with the bittersweet beauty of a bygone world—still shimmering, still human, still true.

Opera Insight

Strauss reportedly described Arabella as his “lyric comedy of Viennese manners,” though its charm hides a deep nostalgia. Hofmannsthal’s sudden death left Strauss to write their final opera alone—a poignant echo of the opera’s own theme of loss and renewal. (Fun fact: Strauss originally intended Zdenka to die in the final act but decided that the world, and the audience, had seen enough tragedy for one night.)

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