Ariadne in Naxos

Hardly any other opera tells more about questions of (oneself) fiduciary in art and love than Ariadne on Naxos: Should you hold on to what you love unconditionally, or should you remain open in order to move on to new things?

The opera by a young composer is about to be performed for the first time when he learns of some short-term requests for changes from his client, a rich art group. His heroic opera about Ariadne, who is at risk of suicide due to heartbreak, and the play by a comedy troupe are to be performed at the same time. The performances of the easy-going Zerbinetta and her admirers included in the Ariadne Opera at the request of the client (and against the will of the composer) lead to a “juxtaposition of the woman who only loves once and who gives herself many times,” according to Richard Strauss's congenial librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Here, in the typical opera characters, two models of love and life are confronted with each other in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek and sometimes serious way. At the same time, however, the work also represents an artistic reflection on the question of the interplay of comedic and dramatic elements in opera and takes the audience right into the turbulent events behind the scenes of a fictional opera premiere.