Jim and Joachim on Ariadne

Recently, IO Artistic Director Jim Caraher sat down with Stage Director Joachim Schamberger to discuss their upcoming production of Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos.

Indianapolis Opera’s artistic director Jim Caraher (left) talks with stage director Joachim Schamberger about the upcoming production of Ariadne auf Naxos.

Caraher:  We have produced Ariadne only once before, in 1987. On one hand, I have been looking forward to it. We don’t do very much from the German repertoire, and this is a Strauss opera that we can afford to do, in terms of size of cast and orchestra. On the other hand, it is so bloody difficult! But once the decision was made, we immediately thought of you, Joachim, because of your intimacy with German repertoire. And you have directed it before, right?

Schamberger: Yes, I directed a conservatory production of Ariadne. And I have seen it many, many times, since I was a child and my parents took me. It is much better known in Europe—maybe not as popular as Wagner—but performed much more often than in the United States. I really love this opera. In conjunction with the music, it’s the opera’s subject and deeper meaning that really move me a lot.

Caraher: Why don’t you tell our readers a little about that.

Schamberger: Richard Strauss and his librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, an acclaimed writer in his own right, touch on a very profound subject, that of grief and faithfulness. They explore questions like: How do we, as humans, deal with loss? How long do we hold onto grief for our own good? How faithful are we to the living and to the dead? In their opera, they offer two opposing approaches to those questions. One is represented by the “opera seria” (serious opera), which shows Ariadne deeply depressed over a lost lover, holding onto her grief with no perspective other than wanting to die. The other is represented by the “opera buffa” (comic opera), led by Zerbinetta, who moves quickly from one lover to the next (to “a new god” as she puts it). When, at the end of the opera, the god Bacchus appears, Ariadne mistakes him for the messenger of Death and opens herself entirely to him. And indeed he does end her suffering, however not through death but through love. She is transformed back to life as he frees her from the island (her isolation).  For Zerbinetta this seems to be what she said all along. The two views are ironically connected to each other. The brilliance is that these issues are explored at the same time that we see both serious drama and comic antics on the stage.

Zerbinetta (Rachele Gilmore, right) tries to persuade Ariadne (Angela Brown) not to grieve over lost love.

Caraher: I agree. If you don’t have humor, you can’t dramatically portray seriousness. I have seen productions of “serious” operas like Don Giovanni and La Bohème fail because the tragedy was not offset, not contrasted by the lighter elements.

These different characters are portrayed by the music as well. Ariadne’s music consists of long, somber lines, using the harmonium and quiet, gloomy instrumentation. Zerbinetta’s music is fast and rhythmic, with light treatment from the winds and the piano. And as the opera gets closer to conclusion, their musical qualities (like their dramatic qualities) have moved away from the extremes and have come closer together.

In the first half, the music is driven by the conversations that establish the characters and the plot. It is in the second half that the music rules, and demonstrates the lushness that Strauss had at his command.

Schamberger: Von Hofmannsthal provides equal brilliance—his lyrics are very poetic. It would be impossible to capture what he brings to the opera in a translation. I think the collaboration of these two individuals resulted in unique artistry, and at the same time illustrated a symbolic merger of life views—with no judgment involved. I believe they knew that we as humans will never fully comprehend the mystery of life, but in the end we can still, along with the characters of the opera, stand in astonishment of its wonders.

Caraher: And it’s our job to be sure this is what our audience experiences!

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Ariadne: More Lush than Harsh

Ariadne auf Naxos, The Dallas Opera. Photo credit: Karen Almond

Based on conversations at last weekend’s Operapalooza festival, it appears that our season opener Ariadne auf Naxos (October 2 and 4) requires a bit of explanation. Strauss completed the opera in 1916, and relative to some other pieces in his body of work, Ariadne has more of a 19^th- than a 20^th-century sound, more lush than harsh.

The plot involves two performance groups hired by a rich host: one is a serious opera company, and the second is a “commedia dell’arte” company, which today would be likened to a Second City troupe. During the prologue, the rich man’s major-domo arrives backstage with the news that, to stay on schedule for the fireworks, both groups must perform their significantly different works simultaneously. This sends all performers into an uproar as they scheme how to have their own roles in the spotlight.

The next act then becomes the combined opera and comedy, and we (as our audience) see what the rich man’s audience sees. The scene opens as the morose Ariadne looks forward to death, having been abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos. Zerbinetta, the head mischief-maker of the comedia troupe, sends in various colleagues to try to cheer up Ariadne and liven up the somberness of the opera. This involves lots of vocal and physical comedy. In the end, Bacchus arrives and falls in love with Ariadne, and off they go, presumably to live happily ever after. This is the really short version of a complex story—I strongly recommend that you get to Clowes early enough to read a more detailed description in the program.

Indianapolis native and opera sensation Angela Brown will perform the title role of Ariadne

Now, the music is a very interesting study in contrast. While the orchestra is small, the music is very dense and very demanding of singers and orchestra musicians alike (and conductors!). The score changes meter and tempo with regularity, and sometimes the singers are working in a different meter than the orchestra. For example, the singers might be singing in four while the orchestra plays in six. That means I have to figure out a beat that simultaneously signals both groups where we are. In addition, the cast members are asked to sing complex music while also performing vigorous physical antics as actors. It’s hard to be funny and at the same time concentrate on complicated music.

Some of our cast members have performed with us in the past several years: Arnold Rawls, Matthew Chellis, Joseph Gaines and John Ames. Corey McKern is new to us, and a great addition to a wonderful group of singers. We also are pleased to welcome back the talented Joachim Schamberger, who stage directed our 2008 Tosca and last season’s acclaimed Das Rheingold. In addition to directing Ariadne, Joachim, a native of Germany, will be playing the speaking role of the major-domo! Finally, special appreciation goes to our two Indiana-based Met stars, Angela Brown (Ariadne) and Jane Dutton (Composer), who are proud to call Indianapolis home.

Rachele Gilmore returns to the IO stage

The opera proper contains one of the most famous and virtuosic arias in the opera repertoire, which lasts (I kid you not) 20 minutes and requires great vocal stamina and range. (It is often used as an audition piece to demonstrate that the soprano has the high notes; I usually ask them to start halfway through just to save time.) If you witnessed the show-stopping vocal fireworks of Rachele Gilmore in our 2008 production of Tales of Hoffmann, you can understand how thrilled we are to have her back as Zerbinetta for Ariadne. Click to hear her performance of the aria. (You may be prompted to click on the enhanced Java version.) 

We completed our first sing-through yesterday, and the ability of this stellar cast, and their already apparent enthusiasm for working together, make me excited to be off to rehearsal today. I think you will be just as excited come performance time!

Jim