The work, based on an idea and libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, is not exactly uncomplicated – the poet called it a “child of sorrows” after the negatively received premiere on October 25, 1912 at the Stuttgart Court Theater, which was combined with Molière’s comedy “The Bourgeois Gentleman”. It was only the overture composed by Richard Strauss that put the opera on the road to success, even if the special mixture of comedy and tragedy always represents a great challenge for the direction and the musical director. In the overture, the Philharmonia Zurich under Markus Poschner, the designated chief conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra, still struggled to capture Richard Strauss’s lively conversational tone. The woodwinds sound a little too massive, the garlands are too heavy, the balance is not yet exactly right (clarinet too loud). But the timing in the 37-piece orchestra is excellent right from the start, so that the quick mood changes in the prelude work well.
The richest man in Vienna has decreed that a crude comedy should be performed alongside the specially composed tragedy “Ariadne auf Naxos”, explains Kurt Rydl as the majordomo, which upsets the music teacher (nicely old-fashioned: Martin Gantner) and the composer (with a strong soprano that is a little sharp in the high notes: Lauren Fagan). Zerbinetta (present and lively: Ziyi Dai) and her jugglers are more relaxed, as is the dance master (cheeky: Nathan Haller). Homoki’s direction allows the humor of the original to shine through through good character management and playful interaction in the ensemble. The fact that Zerbinetta kisses the composer gives his words “What do you want to say with that at this moment?” a special meaning, especially since Strauss’ music also pauses at this point. The transformation that the composer describes can also be experienced in the stage.
