SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Strauss, Ariadne auf Naxos: (Revival Premiere) Soloists, Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Lothar Koenigs (conductor) Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff 7.10.2010 (BK)

Production:

Director - Neil Armfield
Revival Director - Denni Sayers
Set Designer - Dale Ferguson
Lighting Designer - Tim Mitchell
Choreographer - Denni Sayers

Cast:

Ariadne -  Orla Boylan
Composer -  Sarah Connolly
Zerbinetta -  Gillian Keith
Music Master -  Robert Poulton
Dancing Master -  Stephen Rooke
Major-Domo -  Eric Roberts
Naiad -  Mary-Jean O’Doherty
Dryad - Patricia Orr
Echo -  Joanne Boag
Tenor/Bacchus - Ricardo Tamura
Harlequin -  Owen Webb
Scaramuccio -  Aled Hall
Truffaldino -  Julian Close
Brighella - Wynne Evans

Production Picture Copyright Richard H Smith

'It's funny, it's rude and it's a surefire winner.'  I said this about Neil Armfield's Ariadne after its premiere in 2004 and I am more than happy to say it again. If anything, Revival Director and Choreographer Denni Sayers has cranked up the comedy even further with a fine cast of comedians led by Gillian Keith's perky Zerbinetta and with truly excellent acting from all of the principals. There's a new cast now of course - the only trooper common to both productions is Wynne Evans' Brighella - but most of the singing is still first rate and the evening continues to be lively, engrossing and even deeply moving.

What makes this Hoffmanstahl/ Strauss collaboration a near miracle though is that 'high art', burlesque and real humanity can fit together so perfectly, despite minefields of apparent incomprehension between clearly warring parties. While the true reality is that nobody eats unless everyone pleases the patron, the pretentious serious artists and the low life comedians are all sincerely professional in tackling a preposterous situation, each group striving wholeheartedly to overcome ludicrous odds. Neil Armfield catches all of this brilliantly but he adds some magic of his own - his Harlequins show real sympathy for the luckless Ariadne's plight and their attempts to cheer her up feel completely genuine, even though they go largely unappreciated off stage. These are fools 'made wise through pity' like Parsifal and provide the otherwise absent compassion missing from the basic plot. It's hard to think of any other opera where such a mixture might work so perfectly.

Back in 2004 I was full of praise for both cast and direction, and I have not changed my mind. Denni Sayers has preserved all of Neil Armfield's original ideas and the new cast went along with them wholeheartedly. The comedians were 'dead common' but well-meaning (which is why they are both rude and funny) and they acted and sang their roles splendidly. Gillian Keith's Zerbinetta was pretty, engaging and remarkably flexible physically - how many other sopranos can get their toes over their heads while standing on one foot? Her singing was all that could be hoped for in this role, with only a couple of minor flaws: she is a hugely competent singer and actor.

Orla Boylan's Ariadne was also impressive in vocal terms as well as in her character's attempts to maintain her dignity and misery while all around her cheerfulness was trying to break through. Sarah Connolly was as ever on top form as the Composer, vocally brilliant and expressive while acting carefully to make the poor chap believable. Ricardo Tamura (Tenor /Bacchus) was somewhat challenged by his role, and was clearly not wholly comfortable with Strauss's crippling tessitura. The one infelicitous moment in the direction was his attempt to kiss Ariadne's feet -  Harlequin would surely have done it much more gracefully.

The minor roles were all filled by excellent actors and/or singers, including George Newton-Fitzgerald's outrageously camp Wig Maker and Stephen Rooke's vocally wonderful Dancing Master.  Eric Roberts' Major Domo -  face smudged with smoke and holding a spent rocket after 'Die Feuerwerke!'  - was as self righteously authoritarian as anyone could wish, despite a short mismatch between his dialogue and the surtitles at one point.

WNO's Musical Director Lothar Koenigs kept a firm yet flexible grip on the proceedings throughout, adding some truly lovely music making to all the onstage fun. This was a memorable evening of opera altogether and definitely one of the company's best.

Bill Kenny