Ariadne on Naxos
Reviews
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Ariadne on Naxos
"Ariadne auf Naxos" is an evolutionary creation that has undergone several transformations. Originally conceived as a charming musical homage to the director Max Reinhardt, who brilliantly staged Strauss and Hoffmannsthal's previous opera, "Der Rosenkavalier," it initially served as the finale of a multi-hour dramatic work before returning to its purely musical form as an opera with a prologue. In the original version, Ariadne replaced the Turkish divertissement in Molière's adapted comedy, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme.…Read more -
Ariadne's Lament on the Other Side of the Kryukov Canal
In art – in literature, in theater, and in music – tears as an artifact-symbol of the tragedy of a particular hero, and weeping as a natural form of human reaction to the outcome of life’s hardships, have always been essential to art in every historical era. However, let us narrow our focus to the realm of musical theater and turn our attention to the myth of Ariadne, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos and the sister of the Minotaur, a bloodthirsty half-man, half-bull.Read more -
The delightful, enchanting absurdity of Ariadne in Naxos
At the Mariinsky Theatre, a delightful premiere is a rare guest on the stages of opera houses: Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. This opera is quite challenging to perform, especially in terms of vocals. The music is complex, and the plot is intense, with a mix of paradoxes, surprises, grotesques, and absurdities. And the music corresponds to this broken and mutually exclusive logic: melodies are cut off and modified in the most unexpected way at a moment when you do not expect it, major tirelessly transforms into minor and back, musical phrases rich in dissonances are densely flavored with coloraturas, cadences and other attributes of bel canto.…Read more -
«Ariadne auf Naxos» – postmodernism at the threshold of modernism
The Mariinsky Theatre continues to produce premieres. Its repertoire includes all the hits of world opera. Apparently, this is why the theatre's management takes creative risks by agreeing to productions of works that were initially met with a lukewarm reception by the public. For example, on June 27, the Mariinsky will host the premiere of Richard Strauss's opera "Ariadne auf Naxos," which was misunderstood by the composer's contemporaries.Read more -
Opera looks in the mirror
"How timely..." "Yes, very timely!" As I was leaving the Mariinsky Theatre after the premiere of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, directed by Sergei Novikov, it was interesting to listen to the scattered impressions of the audience.
Many of them, those that were not expressed through smiles and interjections, were specifically about the timing and the audience's response. How can it be formulated, and is there a formula for success now, especially considering that there are true fans among the audience at the Mariinsky Theatre who follow the quality of performance with a score in their hands?Read more -
Bacchus's Flight over St. Petersburg
Ariadne auf Naxos is staged at the Mariinsky Theatre
Richard Strauss's rarely performed opera existed in the Mariinsky's repertoire in the form of a semi-concert version, and now Valery Gergiev has proposed that Sergei Novikov stage a full-fledged performance. The maestro's acquaintance with the Moscow director's work took place last autumn, when his Lakmé came to St. Petersburg, presented as a joint production of the Mariinsky Theatre and the D.A. Khvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.Read more -
A double game
As part of the XXXII Stars of the White Nights music festival, the Mariinsky Theatre presented a production of the opera Ariadne auf Naxos, which also marked the final opera premiere of the 241st season for the theatre.
This premiere marked the third production of this opera on the Mariinsky Theatre stage. The production was directed by Sergey Novikov, who emphasized that Ariadne... juxtaposes seemingly unrelated elements. The unusual interpretation of the "theatre within a theatre" technique also captivated the audience.Read more -
A spectacular premiere at the Mariinsky: Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos
In June, Richard Strauss is celebrating his 160th birthday. On June 27, 28, and 29 (at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.), the Mariinsky will present his "Ariadne auf Naxos," a rare but fascinating work.
The production team includes authors who are already familiar to the Mariinsky audience: in 2023, director Sergei Novikov presented the opera Lakmé by Delibes, and in 2014, artist Sergei Novikov collaborated with Anna Matison on the production of The Golden Cockerel by Rimsky-Korsakov.Read more -
Ariadne on the Neva
The Main Theatre in St. Petersburg was the first in Russia to include Richard Strauss operas in its repertoire, starting with Elektra (1913, directed by Vsevolod Meyerhold) and continuing with Salome and The Knight of the Rose (1920s, directed by Iosif Lapitsky and Sergei Radlov, respectively). After a long hiatus in the 1990s, the Russian Straussiana was revived here: Valery Gergiev staged Salome three times, turned to Electra, and conducted the Russian premiere of The Woman Without a Shadow. Ariadne auf Naxos was staged twice. And now there is a third version.Read more -
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