Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal was based on Molière’s Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
A Buxton International Festival production, featuring the Buxton International Festival Orchestra.
Sung in German, with English surtitles
What happens when high art collides with low comedy?
In the lavish home of the richest man in Vienna, two rival performing troupes arrive to entertain his guests. One is a serious opera company preparing a tragic masterpiece based on the Greek myth of Ariadne, abandoned on the island of Naxos. The other is a troupe of fiery Italian comedians preparing a burlesque comedy. Minutes before showtime, the patron delivers an outrageous decree: to ensure the fireworks start precisely on time, both performances must take place simultaneously on the same stage.
Pandemonium ensues behind the scenes. The desperate young Composer watches in horror as his sublime tragedy is scrambled together with slapstick antics. Yet as the curtain rises on Naxos, something magical occurs. High-flown tragic opera and sparkling commedia dell’arte weave into an astonishing theatrical tapestry. The sorrowful lamentations of Ariadne are offset by the dazzling virtuosity of Zerbinetta, culminating in a triumphant transformation of heart and spirit.
Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s genius opera-within-an-opera is a brilliant, witty, and moving celebration of the power of art. Brimming with luminous orchestration, soaring vocal melodies, and sharp theatrical satire, Ariadne auf Naxos is an intoxicating masterpiece of passion, comedy, and compromise.
Directed by Daisy Evans
Opera image coming soon
