Staging Ariadne auf Naxos is no simple task. Beneath its apparent simplicity – modest duration and relatively small forces – the work presents real challenges, not least in balancing comedy and gravity. The revival of the early-2020s production seen at the Staatsoper Berlin proves this once again.

Let it be said plainly: Hans Neuenfels’ staging is not among the most compelling of recent years. It is not without merit: the opposition between the Prima Donna (Camilla Nylund) and Zerbinetta (Serena Sáenz), marked by an almost childish yet convincing antipathy, works well and intensifies as the Prologue unfolds. The efforts of the excellent Najade (Sonja Herranen), Dryade (Sandra Laagus) and Echo (Serafina Starke) to draw Ariadne out of her torpor are also noteworthy, as is the delicacy of the duet between Zerbinetta and the Komponist (Rebecka Wallroth).

However, several choices are less convincing. The appearance of the commedia dell’arte characters with explicit sexual props, as well as Ariadne’s unexpected suicide at the end, feel questionable. The heroine is confined to a quasi-Wagnerian darkness, where the longing for death, treated in a rather prosaic manner, loses its poetic dimension. The tensions between the Prima Donna and the Tenor (Marco Jentzsch), pushed to the point of caricature, verge on the grotesque. Ultimately, any enjoyment derives more from the libretto and the performers than from the staging, whose fidelity to the spirit of the work seems compromised.

The vocal performances, by contrast, provide much satisfaction. Camilla Nylund skilfully adapts a voice now firmly rooted in Wagnerian roles to Ariadne’s more sinuous lines, with bright top notes and well-supported lower registers. She sustains long phrases with finesse while maintaining inner tension. Serena Sáenz impresses with the beauty of her tone and a theatrical presence ranging from sparkling wit to disarming sincerity. While some notes lack stability and the ascent into the upper register can feel slightly tentative, her virtuosity comes fully into its own in the most demanding passages. Marco Jentzsch delivers a valiant Bacchus without neglecting the role’s pathos. His performance is solid, flexible and powerful, with a not ably secure upper middle register despite a recent run of demanding roles. Rebecka Wallroth offers a sensitive Komponist, with a surprisingly bright tone for a mezzo-soprano. One may, however, question whether the voice is at times too light, and whether the projection fully carries in the most intense passages, despite exemplary legato. Jaka Mihelac brings a poetic, slightly ironic Harlequin, his burnished tone blending well with that of Serena Sáenz. Scaramuccio, Truffaldin and Brighella (Alvaro Diana, Manuel Winckhler and Junho Hwana) are all capably performed. Roman Trekel stands out as the Musiklehrer, with finely nuanced speech-song phrasing and exemplary diction.

Eun Sun Kim’s conducting can seem overly chamber-like. Certain passages lack intensity or definition – such as Es gibt ein Reich, shaped rather neutrally when Nylund’s voice called for broader support. While her attentiveness to the singers is commendable, the interpretation remains understated, without a strong interpretative stance, and does not fully showcase the Staatskapelle Berlin.

Between a questionable staging and an unassertive musical direction, it is the strength of the vocal cast that ultimately carries the evening, restoring – if only briefly – the richness and evocative power of this fascinating work.

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Musikalische Leitung | Eun Sun Kim · Inszenierung | Hans Neuenfels · Szenische Einstudierung, Spielleitung | Caroline Staunton · Bühne | Katrin Lea Tag · Kostüme | Andrea Schmidt-Futterer · Licht | Stefan Bolliger

Primadonna, Ariadne | Camilla Nylund · Zerbinetta | Serena Sáenz · Tenor, Bacchus | Marco Jentzsch · Der Komponist | Rebecka Wallroth · Ein Musiklehrer | Roman Trekel · Der Haushofmeister | Max Urlacher · Harlekin | Jaka Mihelač · Scaramuccio | Álvaro Diana · Truffaldin | Manuel Winckhler · Brighella | Junho Hwang · Najade | Sonja Herranen · Dryade | Sandra Laagus · Echo | Serafina Starke · Ein Offizier | Patrick Vogel · Ein Perückenmacher | Hanseong Yun · Lakai | David Oštrek · Ein Tanzmeister | Michael Laurenz · Puppenspieler | JARNOTH · Staatskapelle Berlin · Credit cover photo: ©Monika Rittershaus

(For further informations) Link to the Staatsoper Berlin: Ariadne auf Naxos