Glorious Glyndebourne: ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’

After the success of his third opera Salomé, based on a play by Oscar Wilde, the German composer Richard Strauss formed a tremendous artistic collaboration with the Viennese writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Their first collaboration was Rosenkavalier, Strauss’s homage to Mozart. It was followed by Ariadne auf Naxos, also set in Vienna.

In the Classical story, Ariadne helps Theseus escape from the labyrinth in Crete but having got away he abandons her on the island of Naxos. Hofmannsthal and Strauss tell us what happens to her there. Their idea is that an impecunious young composer is to stage his one-act opera on the semi-deserted Naxos in the grand house of the wealthiest man in Vienna. The imaginary young composer’s opera forms the second and final act of this extraordinary opera by Strauss, his fifth and (in the opinion of some devotees of the composer) his greatest.

Like Rosenkavalier, this opera contains three principal roles for female singers: the young composer, the prima donna singing Ariadne, and Zerbinetta, who leads a troupe of performers that will also entertain the guests after dinner on a special evening at the big house. But there is a conflict — which performance should be given first, the serious opera by the young composer or the light-hearted skit by Zerbinetta and her troupe?

Naturally the composer feels his work is the only one that merits serious attention, and he is ready to demand that it be cut completely in this frivolous setting. The music master tries to dissuade him, if only on financial grounds, and Zerbinetta actually wins him over by explaining that one must compromise and give way to perform serious art. All is therefore set, as long as they know which one the great man wants first. The Major-Domo of the house then appears to announce that the two must be combined into one, and moreover be over by nine o’clock sharp — in time for the fireworks!

In this glorious Glyndebourne production by Laurent Pelly (who also designed the costumes), we see both the facade of the grand house, and the barely inhabited island of Naxos. The young composer is lurking in the background, anxious to see this performance of his masterwork, now happily adulterated by the lighter entertainment of Zerbinetta’s troupe. As the composer himself, Samantha Hankey was simply marvellous, entirely convincing as a young man, and singing superbly with the tension appropriate to the role. Alina Wunderlin as Zerbinetta was charm itself, in a short, tight dress, performing her coloratura role with terrific vivacity, and Rachel Willis-Sørensen made a glorious Ariadne, distraught yet still singing divinely. Her longings are finally rewarded by meeting Bacchus (superbly sung by David Butt Philip). The contrast with Zerbinetta was well expressed by Hofmannsthal in a letter to Strauss: “What to divine souls is a real miracle is to the earth-bound nature of Zerbinetta just an everyday love affair.”

Wonderful support from a very strong cast including Ru Charlesworth as a delightfully camp Dancing Master, Michael Kraus as an engaging Music Master and William Relton as a frightfully pompous Major-Domo. Under the baton of the music director Robin Ticciati, this was a musical triumph, fully sensitive to the subtleties of Richard Strauss’s score. Along with the revival of Britten’s Billy Budd, this Ariadne is well worth the visit to Glyndebourne.

A Message from TheArticle

We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every angle. We have an important contribution to make, one that’s needed now more than ever, and we need your help to continue publishing throughout these hard economic times. So please, make a donation.