First performed in January 1911 at the Königliches Opernhaus (the predecessor of Semperoper), Der Rosenkavalier was conducted at its première by the maestro of the day Ernst Edler von Schuch who also found himself in the pit for the premières of Strauss’ Feuersnot, Salome and Elektra. And a maestro of eminent importance today, Christian Thielemann, chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden, spun his magic in the pit controlling a wonderfully entertaining production featuring a stellar cast marking the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

Playing to a packed house, the opera became an overnight success but the Dresden authorities were worried that audiences would find it slightly offensive no doubt concerned about the amorous adventures of Baron Ochs who in this wittily-directed production by Uwe Eric Laufenberg (who’ll direct a new Parsifal at Bayreuth in 2016) was sung by Peter Rose in a coarse, vulgar and extravagant way as befits his bullish character. He excelled himself and together with his lackeys traditionally attired in leather lederhosen they made an effective comedy team.

Such great singers as Elisabeth Söderström, Lotte Lehmann and Renée Fleming have been closely associated with the work in the central role of Die Feldmarschallin. Now you can add to this star-studded list the German-Greek soprano Anja Harteros. As if jumping from the cover of Vanity Fair, Ms Harteros looked so elegant and was simply radiant in this aristocratic role which perfectly fitted her voice, character and demeanour.

The opening scene in the Marschallin’s neatly-arranged boudoir sees her cavorting between white-linen starched sheets with the youthful Octavian, sung superbly by Sophie Koch. From there this joyous production never faltered in its pace to its conclusion featuring that gloriously-romantic trio witnessing the Marschallin musing over life, love and growing old, and renouncing her love for Octavian while offering him, reluctantly but graciously, to her young and beautiful rival, Sophie, sung excellently by Christiane Karg. The rich-textured voices of the three female leads produced a range of colour and purity of tone that was simply a joy to listen to especially in the trio.

Overall the opera was well cast and Yosep Kang, in particular, shone as the evening star as the Italian singer in Act I delivering the flowing and flowery love-song "Di rigori armato il senon" completely over-the-top in a very expressive way.

But the formality of the presentation of the silver rose by Octavian provided the big moment of Act II. It was a question of lights, cameras and sound! Octavian and Sophie manifested their love for each other singing magnificently the aria "Wo war ich schon einmal" with the ceremony being carried out in front of a pushy gang of press photographers jostling for the best position but duly held back by Faninal’s Haushofmeister played by Tom Martinson who was gloriously dressed sporting a white-plumed headdress and over-fussy as only a major domo can be.

Adrian Eröd’s fine baritone voice fitted perfectly the role of Faninal while Thomas Ebenstein (Valzacchi) and Christa Mayer (Annina) were a cunning and devious deuce bent on revenge against Ochs.

And revenge comes in a most satisfying and humiliating way in which Ochs puffs himself up beyond imagination for a rendezvous with Octavian masquerading under the name of Mariandel. The appointed place was none other than a spacious cellar of a grand house regally decorated and kitted out by Ochs’ team of striped-waistcoat servants. What he thinks is going to be an intimate and private supper turned out to be something else - a living nightmare.

The nightmare begins with a group of children rampaging all over the place with cries of ‘Papa, Papa’ (part of Annina’s clever plotting), Herr Faninal arriving on the scene via a trap-door and quickly disappearing the same way, a couple of pugilists prancing about and a dog-handler with two restless bull terriers on a leash looking on. It all seemed part of a reckless dream. The coup-de-grâce came in the form of a lady-of-the-night befriending Ochs in full glare of the core of press photographers. Ochs was set up. His fate sealed.

Octavian and Sophie quietly leave the scene of his demise realising their dream has come true but not before delivering the final aria of the opera "Ist ein Traum" sung so sensitively by Ms Koch and Ms Karg thus ending a brilliant, heart-warming and delightful production.