Were I to be stranded with just one opera recording on that mystical desert island, I would be torn between either Parsifal or Tristan und Isolde, with my preference probably going to the former. But iTunes does not lie - and the opera that, by some margin, I listen to most often is Richard Strauss' 1916 gem, Ariadne auf Naxos. So it was with more than usual excitement that I made my way across Central Park earlier this evening to see the Metropolitan Opera production.
The opera comes in two parts: the second being the performance itself, while the first gives us a glimpse back stage as the various performers get ready for the off. Here Strauss and his librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, give us a hilarious, at turns wicked, at turns affectionate, portrayal of the people they must have worked with on a daily basis. We have the prima donna, unable to bear that anyone should upstage her, the tenor, disgusted by the quality of the wigs that he is being offered, and, most deliciously, the composer, beside himself with nerves before the performance of his own Ariadne.
All this can be great fun for any opera house, and the Met's production by Elijah Moshinsky does not disappoint. Neither does it offer any original insight, but it is for the most part inoffensive and, joy of joys, totally devoid of animals. I could have done without the happy couple walking into a schmaltzy sunset at the very end, and would have appreciated a little more being made of the social satire that laces the libretto, as the idealistic composer has to marry his own exhalted view of his art with his rich patron's ludicrous demands for frankly low-brow changes to be made to the precious score.
While the staging, then, is not the most exciting, what really sets this Met production apart is the fabulous quality of the performances. The title role is taken by the Lithuanian soprano Violeta Urmana and tonight she was on simply stunning form. Her long song of lament, 'Es gibt ein Reich', was sung with delicate beauty where needed, and yet her voice could raise the roof when called on.
Opposite her was Diana Damrau's Zerbinetta - a high-wire role for any soprano with notes to make the eyes water. Her performance, physically, musically, emotionally, was easily on a par with Urmana's, with her grand solo, 'Grossmächtige Prinzessin', quite literally proving to be a show-stopper.
The tenor Jon Villars, in the punishing role of Bacchus, was excellent until the very end when his voice failed under the pressure. I was slightly disappointed by Susan Graham, whom I saw last month on ravishing form as Cherubino at the opening gala. While she acted the part of the composer well, she seemed nervous of taking the big notes full on, and so her final jubilant statement that music is the holiest of all the arts failed to make the impact it should.
Nevertheless, with the intelligent conducting of Kirill Petrenko in the pit, who drew new nuances at every turn, this evening showed at least a glimpse of what musical heaven might be like. I am sorely tempted to try to get another ticket for Saturday's performance...
I came across your comments about my production of Ariadne....I have nothing to do with any revival and indeed assonn as I was gone the management decided to change it the usual bland style at the Net.
Posted by: Elijah Moshinsky | 05 August 2006 at 07:00 PM