[Met Performance] CID:256770
Ariadne auf Naxos {32} Matinee Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/10/1979., Broadcast
(Broadcast
Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
March 10, 1979 Matinee Broadcast
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS {32}
Ariadne.................Johanna Meier
Bacchus.................René Kollo
Zerbinetta..............Edita Gruberova
The Composer............Tatiana Troyanos
Music Master............Allan Monk
Harlekin................Dale Duesing
Scaramuccio.............Charles Anthony
Truffaldin..............Philip Booth
Brighella...............Jon Garrison
Najade..................Alma Jean Smith
Dryade..................Jean Kraft
Echo....................Betsy Norden
Major-domo..............Nico Castel
Officer.................Paul Franke
Dancing Master..........Joseph Frank
Wigmaker................Russell Christopher
Lackey..................Andrij Dobriansky
Conductor...............James Levine
Rebroadcast on Sirius Metropolitan Opera Radio
Review of Robert Jacobson in the May 1979 issue of Opera News
Some stunning elements gave impetus to the revival of Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos" (heard March 10), again under Levine's baton. He had the Met orchestra playing with gleaming sensitivity and warmth, while he has now realized a thorough view of this treacherous score. With Leontyne Price able to sing only two of the scheduled performances (Feb. 17, March 15, the first on Feb. 13 having been canceled due to no one to fill the title role), the bulk of Ariadne's fell to Miss Meier, whose powerful, glowing soprano and superior sense of style and line, coupled with handsome looks and stature, made her ideal as the abandoned princess. Tatiana Troyanos, again the Composer, embodied the part so fully that she firmly took her place in the noble lineage from Jeritza through Seefried, Jurinac and Ludwig. New, and a brilliant addition to the ensemble, was Edita Gruberova as Zerbinetta, The Slovak soprano is everything one could hope for in this soaring, most demanding role, for she acts enchantingly, sings with great skill and musicality and possesses a voice that not only sails easily to the top, but is filled out with sweetness and quality; she had a triumph, predictably, not only in her big aria, but in the touching duet with the Composer in the prologue as well. Dale Duesing, who had made his debut as Harlekin on February 22, revealed a focused, warm baritone with a delightful personality; and Monk's equally warm, natural baritone added luster to the Music Master. Like most tenors, Rene Kollo found Bacchus hard going, for he cracked on certain exposed high tones and seemed to labor through his music, even while looking dashing as the god. Igesz' production still makes the mistake of confusing the public by adding in "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme's" M. Jourdain instead of sensitively sorting out the main action.