Set 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.
According to Messel’s set design notes, the rococo style panelling ornament was painted rather than carved to give the illusion of gold stucco work because ‘this I feel can give more scope for an illusion of space and atmosphere and more freedom to the architectural forms of rococo design than is possible to execute in solid form’.
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.
According to Messel’s set design notes, the rococo style panelling ornament was painted rather than carved to give the illusion of gold stucco work because ‘this I feel can give more scope for an illusion of space and atmosphere and more freedom to the architectural forms of rococo design than is possible to execute in solid form’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Charcoal and gouache on paper |
| Brief description | Set design by Oliver Messel for panelling ornament, Act II, in Richard Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavalier, Glyndebourne 1959. |
| Physical description | A set design by Oliver Messel for panelling ornament, Act II, in a Glyndebourne production of Der Rosenkavalier, 1959. A charcoal sketch with dabs of yellow paint. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| 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. According to Messel’s set design notes, the rococo style panelling ornament was painted rather than carved to give the illusion of gold stucco work because ‘this I feel can give more scope for an illusion of space and atmosphere and more freedom to the architectural forms of rococo design than is possible to execute in solid form’. |
| Associated object | S.207-2006 (Model) |
| Bibliographic reference | Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.
London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. 200p., ill
ISBN 0905209508) |
| Other number | ROT 2842 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.267-2006 |
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| Record created | August 15, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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