Marco Arturo Marelli’s elegant production of Strauss’ late work Capriccio was last seen in Vienna almost five years ago when it was a vehicle for star soprano Renée Fleming. The production was recorded and is now available on DVD and, more widely, on YouTube. The star may have gone, but while new singers fill many of the roles there are some important carry-overs from the previous run who show their experience in this revival.

Subtitled “A Conversation Piece for Music,” this debate over the merits of words and music in opera has neither the zany absurdity of Ariadne auf Naxos nor the lush romanticism of Der Rosenkavalier, but there are hints of both and the quintessential Straussian soundscape pervades the entire score, providing warmth, charm and pathos throughout. At two and a half hours without an interval the work is long, and not without some longueurs, despite boasting a text that is full of wit and philosophical insights.

Musically this is a winning performance. Michael Boder leads the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in an expressive account of the score that resonates with warmth and passion, while offering clarity and detail throughout. This late Strauss piece seems to find the composer at ease with his style and the performance underpins this to perfection.

Anna Gabler is currently an ensemble member of the Vienna State Opera and is making her role debut here as the Countess. The fact that Gabler is not yet a ‘star’ soprano in the mould of Renée Fleming or Kiri Te Kanawa should not count against her, but star sopranos inevitably offer a ‘presence’ that make them magnets on stage both vocally and visually. If Gabler does not quite have this ‘presence,’ she nevertheless impresses through her likeable stage demeanour that combines warmth and charm with aristocratic grandeur. Vocally the role is well within her voice and she delivers an appealing account of the score. However, occasionally her voice feels grounded, lacking sparkle and the silvery tone that can elevate Strauss’ music to new levels. All in all, though, an excellent first attempt at a demanding and complex role.

Angelika Kirchschlager returns as the actress Clairon and her experience shows. Her voice takes a little while to warm up on this occasion, but soon delivers impassioned theatricality making the most of the witty text written for the character. Her put downs of Olivier are particularly funny.

However, it is the men that steal the show in this performance. While Olivier and Flamand fight it out philosophically over the words and music, it is Michael Schade’s strongly projected and intensely sung Flamand that easily wins the day between the two. In contrast Adrian Eröd’s Olivier is far more subdued, though at the appropriate moments his supple baritone voice finds the necessary passion to equal his rival. Wolfgang Bankl certainly makes the most of the impresario La Roche, using both words, music and sheer acting talent to convince us that it is in fact the director who carries the show. Morten Frank Larsen is a late replacement as the Count, but strongly impresses with his forthright delivery and comedic skills.

The smaller cameo roles are cast from strength by Daniela Fally (Italian Singer), Pavel Kolgatin (Italian Tenor), Peter Jelosits (Monsieur Taupe) and Marcus Pelz (Haushofmeister).

Marco Arturo Marelli’s largely traditional production evokes some bygone era with romantic interiors combined with witty theatricality that provide an eye-catching setting for Strauss’ work. His stage sets rotate, revolve and regroup throughout the evening ensuring the conversation does not descend into static boredom, while Dagmar Niefind's costumes are both elegant and witty.

Words or music? As the conversation comes to an unresolved yet happy end, we are left to reflect where we stand on this dilemma. On a well executed evening like this there seems to be only one answer, both.