Ariadne auf Naxos

In the organizer's words:

Is it possible to play comedy and tragedy at the same time? Yes - if you have to. And if the richest man in town wants it that way. Then the theater plays crossover! Entertainment and seriousness should be mixed - and it works. To the delight of the audience and to the recognition of the characters on stage.

Originally planned as incidental music for a comedy by Molière, Richard Strauss discovered his love of French baroque music while working on the piece. Together with Hugo von Hofmannsthal, he later expanded the piece into the revolutionary, between-the-stools masterpiece Ariadne auf Naxos - to the delight of the audience.

The plot is as clever as its core is serious. The party is actually all planned. The opera Ariadne auf Naxos is to be performed at the home of a nouveau riche Viennese, followed by the fireworks and a comedic dance performance. Shortly before the start, however, the landlord comes up with a time-saving idea. Why not perform the opera and comedy at the same time and before the fireworks? The second part shows how the comedians on stage improvise their way into the Greek tragedy and try to cheer up the abandoned Ariadne: an opera within an opera that simultaneously comments on itself as comedy and tragedy.

With Ariadne auf Naxos, the author duo Strauss and Hofmannsthal continued on the path of a Viennese conversational comedy begun with Der Rosenkavalier - and went all out: a small cast and great success - even today. The dazzling innovations have been surprising audiences time and again since 1916.