Ariadne auf Naxos
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| Operas by Richard Strauss |
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Ariadne auf Naxos (Ariadne on Naxos) is an opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal.
Contents |
[edit] Versions
The opera as originally conceived was to be a thirty-minute divertissement to be performed at the end of Hofmannsthal's adaptation of Molière's play Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. As well as composing the opera, Strauss provided incidental music to be performed during the play. In the end, the opera occupied ninety minutes, and the performance of play plus opera occupied over six hours. It was first performed at the Hoftheater, Stuttgart, on 25 October 1912. The director was Max Reinhardt.
After the première, it became apparent that the work as it stood was impractical: it required a company of actors as well as an opera company, and was thus very expensive to mount, and its length was likely to be a problem for audiences. So in 1913 Hofmannsthal proposed to Strauss that the play should be replaced by a prologue which would explain why the opera combines a serious classical story with a comedy performed by a commedia dell'arte group. He also moved the action from 17th century Paris to 19th century Vienna. Strauss was initially reluctant, but he composed the prologue (and modified some aspects of the opera) in 1916, and this revised version was first performed at the Hofoper, Vienna, on 4 October of that year. This is the version that is normally staged today, although the original play-plus-opera is occasionally performed (for example, at the 1997 Edinburgh International Festival).
The most important aria, in either version is "Großmächtige Prinzessin", "high and mighty princess", sung by Zerbinetta.
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Stuttgart Premiere, 25 October 1912 (Conductor: Richard Strauss) |
Vienna Premiere, 4 October 1916 (revised version) (Conductor: Franz Schalk)[1] |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue | Opera | |||
| The prima donna | Ariadne | soprano | Maria Jeritza | Maria Jeritza |
| The tenor | Bacchus | tenor | Herman Jadlowker | Béla von Környey |
| Zerbinetta | coloratura soprano | Margarethe Siems | Selma Kurz | |
| Harlequin, a player | baritone | Albin Swoboda | Hans Duhan | |
| Scaramuccio, a player | tenor | Georg Maeder | Hermann Gallos | |
| Truffaldino, a player | bass | Reinhold Fritz | Julius Betetto | |
| Brighella, a player | tenor | Franz Schwerdt | Adolph Nemeth | |
| The composer | mezzo-soprano | Lotte Lehmann, replacing Marie Gutheil-Schoder |
||
| His music-master | baritone | Hans Duhan | ||
| The dancing-master | tenor | Georg Maikl | ||
| A wigmaker | baritone | Gerhard Stehmann | ||
| A footman | bass | Viktor Madin | ||
| An officer | tenor | Anton Arnold | ||
| The Major-Domo | spoken | Anton August Stoll | ||
| Naiad, a nymph | high soprano | M. Junker-Burchardt | Charlotte Dahmen | |
| Dryad, a nymph | contralto | Sigrid Onégin | Hermine Kittel | |
| Echo, a nymph | soprano | Erna Ellmenreich | Carola Jovanovic | |
| Servants | ||||
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Overview
Ariadne auf Naxos is in two parts, called the Prologue and the Opera. The first part shows the backstage circumstances leading up to the second part, which is in fact an opera within an opera.
[edit] The Prologue
At the home of 'the richest man in Vienna,' preparations for a party are under way. Two groups of musicians have arrived; one is a burlesque group, led by the saucy comedienne Zerbinetta, the other an opera company, who will present a serious opera, Ariadne auf Naxos. The preparations are thrown into confusion when the Major-domo announces that both performances must take place at the same time.
At first, the impetuous young Composer refuses to discuss any changes to his opera. But when his teacher, the Music Master, counsels him to be prudent—and when Zerbinetta turns the full force of her charm on him—he drops his objections. But when he realizes what he has assented to, he is once again plunged into despair, and storms out.
[edit] The Opera
Ariadne is shown abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos, bewailing her fate, as she mourns her lost love and longs for death. At this point Zerbinetta and her four companions from the burlesque group appear. They attempt to cheer Ariadne, but without success. In a sustained and dazzling piece of coloratura singing Zerbinetta insists that the simplest way to get over a broken heart is to find another man. In a comic interlude, each of the clowns pursues Zerbinetta.
The three nymphs, Naiad, Dryad and Echo then announce the arrival of a stranger on the island. At first Ariadne thinks he is the messenger of death; but in fact it is the god Bacchus. He falls instantly in love with Ariadne and promises to set her in the heavens as a constellation. Zerbinetta returns briefly to repeat her philosophy of love; then the opera ends with the passionate singing of Ariadne and Bacchus.
[edit] Instrumentation
- Woodwind: 2 flutes (alternating on piccolos), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
- Brass:: 2 horns, trumpet, trombone
- Percussion: timpani, glockenspiel, tambourine, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, bass drum
- Strings: 6 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 2 contrabasses
- Other: harmonium, celesta, piano, 2 harps
[edit] Differences between 1912 and 1916 versions
| 1912 version | 1916 version |
|---|---|
| Opera is preceded by Der Bürger als Edelmann, Hofmannsthal's translation of Molière's Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, with incidental music by Strauss; "Du Venus' Sohn" is sung by an unnamed singer | Opera is preceded by Prologue; the only music retained from Der Bürger als Edelmann is "Du Venus' Sohn" which is sung by the Composer |
| Jourdain interjects various spoken comments during the opera, particularly during the opening | no comments are made during the opera |
| Grossmächtige Prinzessin: The end of "Noch glaub' ich" (before "So wär es mit Paggliazzo") continues with an instrumental repetition of the tune and ends on a B major chord | "Noch glaub' ich" cuts off and ends on an A major chord |
| Grossmächtige Prinzessin: "So war es mit Pagliazzo" begins in E major | "So war es mit Pagliazzo" begins in D major |
| Grossmächtige Prinzessin: "Als ein Gott kam Jeder gegangen" begins in E major | "Als ein Gott kam Jeder gegangen" begins in D major |
| Grossmächtige Prinzessin: After the 2nd repetition of "Als ein Gott" the aria continues to develop, including a long accompanied cadenza, ending in E major | The aria is cut down and ends in D major |
| After Zerbinetta's "Wie er feurig sich erniedert!" there is a short passage continuing the quartet for her, Brighella, Scaramuccio and Truffaldin beginning with the words "Wie der Druck den Druck erwidert" | After Zerbinetta's "Wie er feurig sich erniedert!" she continues "mach ich ihn auf diese neidig" |
| Before Zerbinetta and Harlekin sing together in octaves "Hand und Lippe, Mund und Hand!" there is a short passage of 8 measures during which Harlekin sings "Wie der Druck den Druck erwidert!" | From Zerbinetta's utterance of "Hand und Lippe" sing "ai, ai, ai, ai" and immediately goes into the duet between Zerbinetta and Harlekin |
| After Zerbinetta and Harlekin sing together in octaves "Hand und Lippe, Mund und Hand!" there are several pages continuing the quartet | After Zerbinetta and Harlekin sing together the quartet continues |
| After Ariadne sings "Die deiner lange harret nimm sie dahin!" Zerbinetta has an aria "Prinzessin! Welchen Boten lohn hab ich verdient?"; Nayad, Dryad, and later Ariadne have interjections during the aria | After Ariadne's "Die deiner lange harret nimm sie dahin!" she sees Thesus and cries out his name; there is no aria for Zerbinetta |
| After Zerbinetta's aria "Prinzessin! Welchen Boten lohn hab ich verdient?" Ariadne has a fews lines invoking her mother; thereafter follows an orchestra passage at the end of which she see Thesus and cries his name | There is no corresponding passage |
| After the final duet between Ariadne and Bacchus, Zerbinetta returns with an aria combining motives from "Komm der neue Gott gegangen" and "So war's mit Pagliazzo und Mezzetin!"; Harlekin, Truffaldin, Brighella and Scaramuccio eventually join in | The opera ends after the Ariadne-Bacchus duet with a big orchestral conclusion |
| At the end of the Zerbinetta and company's final number, a lackey enters and tells Jourdain that the fireworks are beginning; he reflects on what people think of him and what he sees in himself; the work ends with music associated with Jourdain | There is no corresponding passage |
[edit] Sources
- Hartmann, Rudolf. Richard Strauss: The Staging of His Operas and Ballets. Oxford University Press. 1981.
- Holden, Amanda; (editor), with Kenyon, Nicholas and Walsh, Stephen. The Viking Opera Guide. London: Viking. ISBN 0-670-81292-7.
- Warrack, John and Ewan West, The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 1992, 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5
