Singing the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos

Combining slapstick comedy and beautiful music in a competition of “high” and “low” art, Ariadne auf Naxos is a cock-eyed tale about art, love, and infidelity. A wealthy patron commissions two pieces of entertainment for a party—an opera based on the Ariadne myth and a comedy by a song and dance troupe. Shortly before the performances are to begin, he orders that they be performed simultaneously in order for a fireworks display to begin on time. What follows is a class war in Strauss’ brilliant opera based on a Molière comedy.