In Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos at the Hamburg State Opera, a work full of contrasts between tragedy and comedy, the audience experiences a fascinating reflection on loyalty and transformation.
"It is a simple and tremendous problem of life: that of fidelity", is how Hugo von Hofmannsthal described the core of their third opera together, Ariadne auf Naxos, in a letter to Richard Strauss. To live does not mean to persevere and hold on to what has been lost. If you want to live, you have to let go, forget, get over yourself - constantly transform yourself. This is what a young opera composer experiences in this work when he is confronted with the stubborn wishes of his patron; just like the protagonist of his opera, Ariadne, who, abandoned by her lover, Theseus, expects only death. But things turn out differently... Strauss and Hofmannsthal let the opposites collide: Tragedy and comedy, light music and grand opera, playfulness and seriousness. In this way, the unfathomable mystery of transformation takes place in the mirroring of art and life, between gaze and gaze.
Premiere January 26, 2025
Further performances: January 29, February 5, 8, 13 and 16, 2025
