Product description
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Arianna A Nasso / Ariadne Auf Naxos
.com
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Richard Strausss Ariadne auf Naxos premiered in 1916,
was something new, a startling blend of comedy and tragedy, both
a frothy entertainment and a serious dip into the big
issues--life, death, art, and love. It succeeds as a musical and
theatre experience, especially in a production as respectful of
the composers intentions as this one, which more than fulfills
his considerable musical demands on the performers. Strauss and
his librettist, Hugo von Hoffmannsthal, fuse the tale of an opera
company and a team of comedians hired to provide entertainment
for a dinner party at the palatial home of Viennas "richest
man." The two groups of artists are forced at the last moment to
combine their incompatible talents in a hastily rewritten opera
which follows the Prologue--the familiar story of Ariadne
abandoned by Theseus on the Greek island. This DVD of Ariadne is
a 1978 film based on Filippo Sanjusts Vienna State Opera
production. The bustling Prologue is set in the backstage area of
the moguls palace and the 18th century costumes fit neatly. In
the opera proper, the stage is transformed into a very stagey
desert island with an improbable set of stairs leading to the
heroines cave, the action spilling over into the theatres side
boxes at times. While theres nothing particularly imaginative
about the production, it never distracts from the main event--the
music. Strauss was profligate in his melodic gifts, his ability
to make a reduced orchestra sound big, and his wonderful
obsession with the female voice, which yields many glorious
moments in the opera. Lavish casting helps.
dula Janowitz is the prima donna who sings the title role,
her fresh voice and musicality make her lament moving, but the
coloratura soprano, Edita Gruberova, all but steals the show as
Zerbinetta, providing both singing and acting splendor. Her
coloratura is flawless, the trills in the aria "Grossmächtige
Prinzessin," effortless. The harassed Composer, seen only in the
Prologue, is Trudeliese Schmidt, whose singing is first-rate and
whose acting in the pants role suits the part admirably, the
veritable archetype of the ardent, impetuous artist. Among the
men, veteran Walter Berry is a fine Musicmaster, the voice of
reason amid all the madcap goings-on, while the comedians are a
feisty bunch with good voices. Special mention is due baritone
Barry McDaniels Harlequin and lyric tenor Heinz Zedniks Dancing
Master (in the Prologue) and Brighella. The role of Bacchus is a
thankless part and if René Kollo is sometimes stiff and blustery,
so too, are most tenors in that role. Pacing and orchestral
playing could not be bettered as the Vienna Philharmonic is led
by the great Strauss conductor, Karl Böhm. John Vernons video
direction is efficient, but his discreet use of fades and tight
closeups may strike some as too much of a good thing. Filmed to a
prerecorded soundtrack, lip-synching is smoothly done. Theres a
fine 1988 MET production led by James Levine with Jessye Norman
and a similarly starry cast, but you cant go wrong with
either--or both--of these versions of Strausss opera. -- Dan
Davis
Ariadne auf Naxos is an all-regions DVD in color and 4:3 ratio.
Sound options include PCM Stereo and DTS 5.1 Surround. Sung in
German with subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese.