Circumstances aligned with understated charm to leave a lasting impression: a constellation of performers, a baton of prestige, an orchestra steeped in acclaim, and one of the most ravishing jewels ever wrought by a native son: Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss.
Ariadne stands apart in Strauss’s oeuvre for its hybrid form: preludes opera in the prologue, and the opera unfolds within opera in the single act. Though not as complex as it may seem, a staged version helps guide newcomers – especially those unfamiliar with Moli猫re’s Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, the work’s origin. In concert, this clarity is harder to achieve, particularly when performers bring either personal interpretations. That evening in Munich, the outcome was within reach for all: even those less acquainted with this delicate opera of balances, where we ceaselessly juggle between intellect and gravity, agility and repose, virtuosic tenderness and surging force, could grasp the intentions behind this marvellous libretto.
Catriona Morison is the undisputed star of this prologue. Her ability to match the orchestral surge, effortlessly and with unwavering passion, is nothing short of remarkable. Her truthful rendering of the Komponist’s shifting states of mind reveals a rare gift for unfolding a richly nuanced palette of vocal colours, never dulled. Just as we believe we’ve glimpsed the peak of her powers, she proves with flair that she can go further still, all without sacrificing clarity of phrasing or the grace of the melodic line. Michael Nagy exudes elegance and a consistently dignified presence, his robust voice is shaped with the meticulous care of a craftsman of both note and word, offering a rare discipline of intelligibility.
Maik Solbach’s Haushofmeister is refined, yet never loses the mischievous, almost sadistic glee he takes in the singers’ reactions to his every intrusion. Samuel Stopford’s luminous timbre allows him to burst forth in his brief appearance. Jonas Hacker’s Tanzmeister sparkles with freshness and comic verve, his clear, spirited voice capturing the character’s buoyant charm. B谩lint Szab贸 delivers the Per眉ckenmacher’s lines with delightful wit. Christian Rieger lends his Lakai a touch of roguishness: his voice projected with ease.
Thomas Mole portrays a fearless Harlekin, his muscular baritonal voice never eclipsing the delicacy or charm of this commedia dell’arte figure. Pawe艂 Horodyski fills the hall with his resonant bass in striking appearances as Truffaldin. Lucas van Lierop brings suave finesse to Brighella, his singing both light-hearted and delectable, just as Joe William鈥檚 (Scaramuccio) brilliant voice carries the text and the humour of his character as far as the auditorium will allow. This fine male group is matched by a superb female counterpart: Erika Baikoff’s supple, intoxicating high notes as Najade; Yajie Zhang’s warm, expansive lower mezzo as Dryade; and the velvety candour of Eirin Rognerud’s Echo.
Caroline Wettergreen’s Zerbinetta is light and sparkling, touched with a childlike capriciousness that enlivens and brightens the performance. Her vocal acrobatics are delivered with just enough discernment to ensure polish without ever compromising the integrity of her instrument – there is no need to overreach in a role as demanding as this. Unbridled valour, by contrast, is found in David Butt Philip’s Bacchus: as extraordinary as his talent, his singing is a marvel of inexhaustible nuance, placing him somewhere between a Tamino and a Siegfried. Only an artist of Krassimira Stoyanova’s stature could match him as Ariadne, her voice rising to peaks of beauty with the same ease with which she moves the heart. Undoubtedly one of the great prime donne of our time.
Daniele Rustioni draws from the Bayerisches Staatsorchester those incantatory textures that sketch the landscape of Strauss’s inspirations: themes subtly scattered here and there, yet seamlessly woven into the orchestral canvas, highlighted by this remarkable ensemble outstanding. Their reading reveals precisely why Ariadne stands among the Bavarian composer’s masterpieces.
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Ariadne auf Naxos
Opera in one act preceded by a prologue (1916 or second version)
Music by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Daniele Rustioni | Conductor 路 Maik Solbach | Haushofmeister 路 Michael Nagy | Musiklehrer 路 Catriona Morison | Komponist 路 David Butt Philip | Tenor/Bacchus 路 Samuel Stopford | Offizier 路 Jonas Hacker | Tanzmeister 路 B谩lint Szab贸 | Per眉ckenmacher 路 Christian Rieger | Lakai 路 Caroline Wettergreen | Zerbinetta 路 Krassimira Stoyanova | Primadonna/Ariadne 路 Thomas Mole | Harlekin 路 Joel Williams | Scaramuccio 路 Pawe艂 Horodyski | Truffaldin 路 Lucas van Lierop | Brighella 路 Erika Baikoff | Najade 路 Yajie Zhang | Dryade 路 Eirin Rognerud | Echo 路 Bayerisches Staatsorchester 路 Credit photos: Geoffroy Schied
(For further informations) Link to the Bayerische Staatsoper website: Ariadne auf Naxos
