111033-34 bk AriadneEU 1/12/06 10:36 AM Page 12 CD 2 messenger of death. He stands before her, and she exclaims ‘Theseus’. Richard The Opera (continued) 5 Bacchus addresses her as the goddess of the island, 1 When a woman thinks she belongs just to one man, but she has long awaited him. He calls her to join him STRAUSS the idea of another steals into her head, a common on his ship, and Ariadne understands this as a voyage to commedia dell’arte predicament. oblivion. Ariadne auf Naxos 2 Harlequin likes the sermon, but it has fallen on deaf 6 Bacchus, though, is a god, sired by a god, not ready ears. He makes advances to Zerbinetta, trying to kiss to let her die in his arms. She recoils in fear at his voice, SCHW her. The others urge her to give up trying to console sinking down, as he holds her. Everything vanishes, and TH AR Ariadne. She flirts with the men, before disappearing a starry sky stretches above them. BE Z A K with Harlequin, while the others pretend to look for her. S O I P 7 Ariadne wonders whether their journey is over, L F 3 The Naiad, Dryad and Echo hurry in, announcing while Bacchus rejoices in his love that has transformed E the appearance of a handsome young god, Bacchus, her cave, while the nymphs, unseen, are heard. brought up by nymphs, after his mother’s death, Zerbinetta enters, indicating Bacchus and Ariadne, welcomed by Circe, whose wiles he has eluded. explaining how when the new god appears women give way at once. She runs off, leaving the lovers enraptured, 4 Ariadne emerges from the cave, as Bacchus appears glorying in their love. on a rock, celebrating his escape from Circe, but enchanted by Ariadne, who welcomes him as the Keith Anderson 1 g 954 Recordin Elisabeth Schwarzkopf • Rita Streich Irmgard Seefried • Rudolf Schock Philharmonia Orchestra Herbert von Karajan 8.111033-34 12 111033-34 bk AriadneEU 1/12/06 10:36 AM Page 2 that the guests may sleep through the opera, after their them. The composer declares his change of heart, as Great Opera Recordings dinner, and wake to enjoy the comedy. The music- idealistically as ever. Zerbinetta whistles to summon her master re-assures the composer; the opera will be the fellows onto the stage. The composer is again horrified Richard centre of attention. A footman announces the imminent and runs out in despair. arrival of the guests. STRAUSS The Opera 6 The major-domo enters with the sudden (1864-1949) announcement that the planned programme is to be ! There is an overture and the scene opens on the abandoned and that the harleqinade and the opera seria island of Naxos, where Ariadne lies prostrate in front of Ariadne auf Naxos are to be performed at the same time. This causes the mouth of a cave. general consternation. Moreover, everything must be Opera in one act with prologue finished before the fireworks at nine o’clock, the @ A Naiad and a Dryad stand by her, with Echo in the Libretto: Hugo von Hofmannstahl inappropriate desert island of Ariadne now suitably background. They ask if Ariadne sleeps, but no, she ornamented. He urges haste. weeps, always sorrowful. Prima Donna / Ariadne . Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) Zerbinetta . Rita Streich (soprano) 7 The music-master is at a loss, but is unwilling to # Ariadne laments her fate, observed by the The Composer . Irmgard Seefried (soprano) forfeit the promised fee, while the composer angrily is commedia dell’arte characters. The Tenor / Bacchus . Rudolf Schock (tenor) willing to walk out. The dancing-master tells him to The Major Domo . Alfred Neugebauer (speaker) make the necessary cuts, while he explains things to $ She continues her lament, recalling the handsome The Music Teacher . Karl Dönch (baritone) Zerbinetta, who, with her colleagues, is used to Theseus, in her madness, ready for death. An Officer . Gerhard Unger (tenor) improvising. The tenor tells the composer to cut out A Dancing Master . Hugues Cuénod (tenor) Ariadne, while the prima donna thinks that the part of % From the wings Zerbinetta suggests cheering her up A Wig Maker . Erich Strauss (baritone) Bacchus can be cut. The music-master re-assures them with a song, and Harlequin obliges, to Ariadne’s A Lackey . Otakar Kraus (baritone) both, while the dancing-master explains the plot of indifference. Naiad . Lisa Otto (soprano) Ariadne to Zerbinetta leading, the composer says, to her Dryad . Grace Hoffman (contralto) death, but Zerbinetta is sure that she finds another lover. ^ Ariadne continues, to herself, awaiting death and Echo . Anny Felbermayer (soprano) his messenger, Hermes. Harlequin . Hermann Prey (baritone) 8 She finds the composer a child in affairs of the Scaramuccio . Gerhard Unger (tenor) world. Zerbinetta and her friends will liven up the desert & Brighella and her companions sing and dance, to Truffaldino . Fritz Ollendorff (bass) island. The composer continues his high-flown ideas of cheer Ariadne up. In the end Zerbinetta sends them Brighella . Helmut Krebs (tenor) Ariadne, brought down to earth by Zerbinetta’s away. common realism. Philharmonia Orchestra * Zerbinetta approaches Ariadne, arguing that her lot Herbert von Karajan, conductor 9 She charms the composer by her confession that, is shared by many women. Ariadne pays no attention while she may flirt on stage, she may in fact be sad in and withdraws into the cave, while Zerbinetta Recorded 30th June through 7th July, 1954 in Kingsway Hall, London her heart. Zerbinetta breaks away and runs off. continues, with her message of a new lover. First issued as Columbia 33CX 1292 through 1294 0 The music-master bustles in, calling the casts onto Reissue Producer and Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn the stage, to the annoyance of the prima donna, who Special thanks to Maynard F. Bertolet for providing source material refuses to appear with Zerbinetta. He tells her that her performance should make clear the difference between 8.111033-34 211 8.111033-34 111033-34 bk AriadneEU 1/12/06 10:36 AM Page 10 Synopsis singer he wants is not there, and is busy. The footman CD 1 78:11 The Opera 36:24 goes off, leaving the composer to knock at the door to CD 1 the right of the stage, as he still has a great deal to do The Prologue 41:47 ! Overture 3:48 with his singers. He turns to the door on the left, seeking (Orchestra) The Prologue his Bacchus. The door opens and the wig-maker totters 1 Overture 2:36 out, his ears boxed by the tenor, already dressed as (Orchestra) @ Schläft sie! 4:04 1 Overture. The curtain rises on a barely furnished, Bacchus, bald but carrying a wig. The wig-maker (Naiad, Dryad, Echo) badly lit room in the house of a rich parvenu. In the remonstrates with the tenor and is unable to help the 2 Mein Herr Haushofmeister! 4:04 background there are signs of the preparation of a composer by providing a scrap of manuscript paper for (Music Teacher, Major Domo, Lackey, Officer) # Ach! Wo war ich? 3:20 private theatre. There is a back-cloth, the reverse of a new idea the latter has just had. (Ariadne, Echo, Harlequin, Zerbinetta, Brighella, which can be seen. 3 Lieber Freund! Verschaffen Sie mir die Geigen Truffaldino) 4 The door to the right opens and Zerbinetta comes (Composer, Lackey, Tenor, Wig Maker) 3:46 2 The major-domo enters, in a hurry and colliding out, with the officer, telling him that it will not be easy $ Ein Schönes war, hieß Theseus – Ariadne 6:50 with the music-master. The latter expresses his anxieties to make the audience laugh after the boring opera. As 4 Erst nach der Oper kommen wir daran 4:36 (Ariadne, Naiad, Dryad, Echo, Harlequin, about the rumoured inclusion in that evening’s they move to the back of the stage the prima donna, her (Zerbinetta, Prima Donna, Music Teacher, Zerbinetta, Scaramuccio, Truffaldino) programme of an Italian comic performance after his Ariadne costume covered by a négligée, and the music- Composer, Dancing Master) pupil’s opera seria. He tells the major-domo that the master emerge from the door on the left. She assures % Ach, so versuchet doch ein kleines Lied! 2:23 composer of the opera will never allow it. The latter him that she must speak with the Count at once, and 5 Meine Partner! Meine erprobten Freunde! 3:35 (Zerbinetta, Harlequin) tells him firmly that there is no question of anyone but closes her door. The composer wants to see the prima (Zerbinetta, Composer, Music Teacher, his master allowing or ordering anything. The music- donna, but is stopped by the music-master, who tells Prima Donna, Dancing Master, Lackey) ^ Es gibt ein Reich, wo alles rein ist 6:41 master insists that the opera seria, Ariadne, was written him she has her hair-dresser with her. The dancing- (Ariadne) for this occasion. The major-domo replies that it has master joins Zerbinetta and the officer, and the 6 Ihnen allen habe ich eine plötzliche Anordnung been well rewarded: in any case his master alone will composer asks who she is, while the dancing-master is (Major Domo, Music Teacher, Prima Donna, 5:45 & Die Dame gibt mit trüben Sinn 5:33 decide what entertainment is to be offered to his guests heard assuring her that her task will be easy, as the Dancing Master, Tenor, Zerbinetta, Composer) (Brighella, Scaramuccio, Harlequin, Truffaldino, after their festive collation, and there will be fireworks opera is so boring. The composer finds Zerbinetta Zerbinetta) afterwards, to start at nine o’clock sharp.