Costume Design
1959 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Der Rosenkavalier, an opera by Richard Strauss (1909-1910), was mounted at Glyndebourne in 1959 in tribute to Carl Ebert, who retired that year after 25 years as the director of Glyndebourne. The production received criticism for the small stage overcrowded with performers and scenery. Set in Vienna during the eighteenth century reign of Empress Maria Theresa, Messel created a lavish rococo fantasy. This was his last production for Glyndebourne.
Baron Ochs sends Octavian to Faninal’s House to present his prospective bride Sophie with a silver rose; however, Octavian and Sophie fall in love with each other. Messel dresses Octavian in a silver overcoat to symbolise the Knight of the Rose. The overcoat and pale pink waistcoat and breeches are in harmony with the pastel colour palette of his set designs.
Der Rosenkavalier, an opera by Richard Strauss (1909-1910), was mounted at Glyndebourne in 1959 in tribute to Carl Ebert, who retired that year after 25 years as the director of Glyndebourne. The production received criticism for the small stage overcrowded with performers and scenery. Set in Vienna during the eighteenth century reign of Empress Maria Theresa, Messel created a lavish rococo fantasy. This was his last production for Glyndebourne.
Baron Ochs sends Octavian to Faninal’s House to present his prospective bride Sophie with a silver rose; however, Octavian and Sophie fall in love with each other. Messel dresses Octavian in a silver overcoat to symbolise the Knight of the Rose. The overcoat and pale pink waistcoat and breeches are in harmony with the pastel colour palette of his set designs.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Charcoal, ink, pencil, gouache, paint, watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Costume design by Oliver Messel for Octavian in Richard Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavalier, Glyndebourne 1959. |
| Physical description | A costume design by Oliver Messel for Octavian in a Glyndebourne production of Der Rosenkavalier, 1959. A man in eighteenth century dress, wearing pale pink breeches and waistcoat, with grey overcoat. White stockings. He holds a gold and silver rose on the left. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | Der Rosenkavalier (1909-1910), an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with libretto by Hugo von Hofsmannsthal. Oliver Messel’s production was first performed by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera at Glyndebourne on 28 May, 1959. It was directed by Carl Ebert and featured Elisabeth Söderström as Octavian, Regine Crespin as the Marschallin and Anneliese Rothenberger as Sophie. It was revived at Glyndebourne in 1960 and 1965. This was Messel’s last production for Glyndebourne. Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts. The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005. Historical significance: Messel worked for Glyndebourne from 1951 to 1959, when he was at the height of his popularity as a designer for the stage. His work for Glyndebourne in this period is regarded as some of his best designs. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Summary | Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean. Der Rosenkavalier, an opera by Richard Strauss (1909-1910), was mounted at Glyndebourne in 1959 in tribute to Carl Ebert, who retired that year after 25 years as the director of Glyndebourne. The production received criticism for the small stage overcrowded with performers and scenery. Set in Vienna during the eighteenth century reign of Empress Maria Theresa, Messel created a lavish rococo fantasy. This was his last production for Glyndebourne. Baron Ochs sends Octavian to Faninal’s House to present his prospective bride Sophie with a silver rose; however, Octavian and Sophie fall in love with each other. Messel dresses Octavian in a silver overcoat to symbolise the Knight of the Rose. The overcoat and pale pink waistcoat and breeches are in harmony with the pastel colour palette of his set designs. |
| Bibliographic reference | Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel, London, V&A, 1983
illus. fig.88
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| Other number | ROT 2840 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.265-2006 |
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| Record created | August 15, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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