Strauss - Ariadne auf Naxos / Voigt · Dessay · von Otter · Heppner · Dohmen · Staatskapelle Dresden · Sinopoli

Editorial Reviews
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Recorded in Dresden in December 2000, this new version of Strauss's Ariadne has become by default the last will and testament of Giuseppe Sinopoli. On April 20, 2001, the Venetian maestro collapsed in the middle of a performance in Berlin, victim of a heart attack at age 54. Since 1992, he had been principal conductor of the prestigious Dresden Staatskapell, which undertook a privileged collaboration with Richard Strauss himself in premiering nine of the composer's operas. There's no surprise, therefore, in the excellence exhibited by the orchestra on this recording, under the baton of a man who also had much experience in the works of Strauss.

Given its final version in 1916, Ariadne auf Naxos abandons the excess of Salome and Electra, orienting itself toward neoclassicism in its juxtaposition of the world of antique opera seria with that of the commedia dell'arte. The Prologue--with its theater within the theater setup--is a playful treatment of the theme of art versus reality and of sublime love versus frivolity, represented by the opposition between a young composer (Anne Sofie von Otter) and a saucy comedian, Zerbinetta (Natalie Dessay). The cast assembled here is exemplary and basically not to be surpassed today, with Deborah Voigt in her famous turn as the title character and Ben Heppner as Bacchus. --Franck Erikson

Strauss - Ariadne auf Naxos / Voigt · Dessay · von Otter · Heppner · Dohmen · Staatskapelle Dresden · Sinopoli, Music, Richard Strauss, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Deborah Voigt, Natalie Dessay, Staatskapelle Dresden, Anne Sofie von Otter, Ben Heppner, Albert Dohmen, Romuald Pekny, Klaus Florian Vogt, Michael Howard, Christoph Genz, Stephan Genz, Eva Kirchner Matthias Henneberg, Ian Thompson, Sami Luttinen, Angela Liebold Christiane Hossfeld, Classical, Classical Music, German/Austrian Romantic Opera, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Opera/Operetta
Strauss - Ariadne auf Naxos / Voigt · Dessay · von Otter · Heppner · Dohmen · Staatskapelle Dresden · Sinopoli
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A Luxurious, Perfect Ariadne
  • Bravo, the best singing cast in decades
  • Technically competent but lacking any artistry
  • ¡Decepcionante!
  • The Last Sinopoli's Goal
 Strauss - Ariadne auf Naxos / Voigt · Dessay · von Otter · Heppner · Dohmen · Staatskapelle Dresden · Sinopoli
Richard Strauss , Giuseppe Sinopoli , Deborah Voigt , Natalie Dessay , Staatskapelle Dresden , Anne Sofie von Otter , Ben Heppner , Albert Dohmen , Romuald Pekny , Klaus Florian Vogt , Michael Howard , Christoph Genz, Stephan Genz, Eva Kirchner Matthias Henneberg , and Ian Thompson, Sami Luttinen, Angela Liebold Christiane Hossfeld
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005ND47
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Tracks:

  1. Prologue: Orch Intro - Staatskapelle Dresden/Giuseppe Sinopoli
  2. Prologue: Mein Herr Haushofmeister! - Albert Dohmen/Romuald Pekny/Jurgen Commichau/Klaus Forian Vogt/Anne Sofie Von Otter
  3. Prologue: Du Allmachtiger Gott! O Du Mein Zitterndes Herz! - Anne Sofie Von Otter/Ben Heppner/Matthias Henneberg/Natalie Dessay/Deborah Voigt/Albert Dohmen...
  4. Prologue: Hast Ein Stuckerl Notenpapier? - Anne Sofie Von Otter/Natalie Dessay/Albert Dohmen/Deborah Voigt/Michael Howard/Jurgen Commichau...
  5. Prologue: Ist Schon Geschehn. Wir Sind Bereit - Albert Dohmen/Romuald Pekny/Deborah Voigt/Michael Howard/Ben Heppner/Anne Sofie Von Otter...
  6. Prologue: Nein, Herr, So Kommt Es Nicht - Anne Sofie Von Otter/Natalie Dessay/Albert Dohmen
  7. Prologue: Ein Augenblick Ist Wenig - Ein Blick Ist Viel - Natalie Dessay/Anne Sofie Von Otter/Albert Dohmen/Deborah Voigt
  8. Prologue: Seien Wir Wieder Gut - Anne Sofie Von Otter/Albert Dohmen
  9. Ov - Staatskapelle Dresden/Giuseppe Sinopoli
  10. Schlaft Sie? - Christaine Hossfeld/Angela Liebold/Eva Kirchner/Deborah Voigt
  11. Wo War Ich? Tot? - Deborah Voigt/Eva Kirchner/Stephan Genz/Natalie Dessay/Ian Thompson/Sami Luttinen
  12. Ein Schones War: Hiess Theseus - Ariadne - Deborah Voigt/Christiane Hossfeld/Eva Kirchner/Angela Liebold/Stephan Genz/Natalie Dessay/Ian...
  13. Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen - Stephan Genz/Eva Kirchner/Natalie Dessay
  14. Es Gibt Ein Reich, Wo Alles Rein Ist - Deborah Voigt
  15. Die Dame Gibt Mit Trubem Sinn - Christoph Genz/Ian Thompson/Stephan Genz/Sami Luttinen/Natalie Dessay

Tracks:

  1. Grossmachtige Prinzessin - Natalie Dessay
  2. Hubsch Gepredigt! Aber Tauben Ohren! - Stephan Genz/Natalie Dessay/Christoph Genz/Ian Thompson/Sami Luttinen
  3. Ein Schones Wunder!.../Ein Reizender Knabe! - Angela Liebold/Christiane Hossfeld/Eva Kirchner
  4. Circe, Kannst Du Mich Horen? - Ben Heppner/Deborah Voigt/Christiane Hossfeld/Eva Kirchner/Angela Liebold
  5. Theseus! Nein, Nein! - Deborah Voigt/Ben Heppner
  6. Das Waren Zauberworte! - Deborah Voigt/Ben Heppner
  7. Gibt Es Kein Hinuber? - Deborah Voigt/Ben Heppner/Angela Liebold/Christiane Hossfeld/Eva Kirchner/Natalie Dessay

Amazon.com

Recorded in Dresden in December 2000, this new version of Strauss's Ariadne has become by default the last will and testament of Giuseppe Sinopoli. On April 20, 2001, the Venetian maestro collapsed in the middle of a performance in Berlin, victim of a heart attack at age 54. Since 1992, he had been principal conductor of the prestigious Dresden Staatskapell, which undertook a privileged collaboration with Richard Strauss himself in premiering nine of the composer's operas. There's no surprise, therefore, in the excellence exhibited by the orchestra on this recording, under the baton of a man who also had much experience in the works of Strauss.

Given its final version in 1916, Ariadne auf Naxos abandons the excess of Salome and Electra, orienting itself toward neoclassicism in its juxtaposition of the world of antique opera seria with that of the commedia dell'arte. The Prologue--with its theater within the theater setup--is a playful treatment of the theme of art versus reality and of sublime love versus frivolity, represented by the opposition between a young composer (Anne Sofie von Otter) and a saucy comedian, Zerbinetta (Natalie Dessay). The cast assembled here is exemplary and basically not to be surpassed today, with Deborah Voigt in her famous turn as the title character and Ben Heppner as Bacchus. --Franck Erikson

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Luxurious, Perfect Ariadne.......2007-04-12

I don't understand why some reviewers would give this magnificent recording less than five stars, because the cast, the conductor, and the orchestra are caught at the top of their game! Even if Giuseppe Sinopoli were replaced by a lesser conductor and the orchestra had been the Bavarian Radio or the RAI Symphony, the vocal forces assembled around this Ariadne are simply sensational! Best of the lot is Deborah Voigt's Ariadne, who is in my opinion the best soprano to have ever sung the part. It lacks the self-conscious, academic interpretation of Schwarzkopf and the indulgent jazz swoops of Jessye Norman, but that is all for the better considering how Voigt gets into the part of the character. Her luscious, silvery, creamy voice works wonders for the part of the prima donna, and her Ariadne is sung with a sense of Grecian abandon unheard in sopranos before her. I would say that this perhaps is the best recording of her discography, and brava to Deborah Voigt for making a specialty out of this role!

Voigt is partnered by the likes of Ben Heppner, Dessay, Von Otter, and Dohmen, artists of a prime calibre who are able to bring an interpretive grain to their music. Ben Heppner's large, heroic timbre fits Bacchus' high-lying, difficult music perfectly, and it is wonderful to know that he has finally overcome that vocal crisis of his so that he can once again share that voice of his with us. I don't think I've ever heard Bacchus sung better by any tenor except James King. Natalie Dessay is a three-dimensional Zerbinetta with sexiness, naughtiness, and warmth, and she is also equipped with all the coloratura in the world to perform the part's difficult pyrotechnics. Her transformation in the opera is a portrayal of this great artist's skill in turning this essentially cardboard role into a character full of life, wisdom, and compassion. I would take her Zerbinetta any day over Gruberova! Von Otter is sensational as the Composer, her chiaroscuro timbre portraying the polar temperament of this character. Although she would never erase the memories of Tatiana Troyanos, von Otter is nonetheless a prime interpreter of the part with a knack for uncovering the dramatic nuances of the part. Albert Dohmen is a vocally endowed music-master, better than the dry-voiced Fischer-Dieskau in his recording with Masur.

Of course, this recording would not achieve its legendary status without Sinopoli and the Dresden forces, perhaps the greatest Straussian orchestra in the world. Sinopoli conducts the score with outstanding clarity, movement, and verve, every instrument speaking out of the pages with an Italianate passion that only he could bring to the score. Oh that we would hope that he had lived longer to conduct Die Liebe der Danae with this team!

In short, this recording is highly recommended!

5 out of 5 stars Bravo, the best singing cast in decades.......2005-09-18

I think all the good reviews here are right, so I'd simply like to point out that although Voigt is not the equal of Schwarzkopf as Ariadne and Dessay is not the equal of Rita Streich as Zerbinetta--both on the classic Karajan set for EMI--Heppner towers ovre all other tenors in the role of Bacchus, and therefore, even without Sinopooli's exellent conducting, this set vaults to the top as the best-sung Ariadne in the stereo era.

2 out of 5 stars Technically competent but lacking any artistry.......2005-09-09

Sinopoli is decent, the principal singers lacking in understanding and charm (Dessay is the exception), quite put into the shade by the so-called secondary characters [Dohmen, the Genzes,etc]. Bright, clean sound --- and all meaningless when the phrasing is lifeless and uncomprehending. Voigt's big aria is, indeed, 'Totenreich' --- lugubrious, rhythmically flaccid, and totally graceless. Yes, the notes ping, but so do those of a synthesizer. Gramophone is spot on to call this voice 'stainless steel'. For those who are unconvinced by this Strauss opera, this will provide ample reinforcement. For those who believe in Ariadne, this recording will test their faith. In a word: stillborn.

1 out of 5 stars ¡Decepcionante!.......2005-04-16

Aunque el desempeño de la orquesta es excelente, gracias a la brillante batuta de Sinooli, el importante papel de Ariadna asumido por Debora Voight es decepcionante: terrible vibrato, problemas de fiato y una colocación esforzada y tensa. Les recomiendo mejor la versión de Schwarzkopf o Norman.

5 out of 5 stars The Last Sinopoli's Goal.......2005-02-21

This Ariadne deserves the most resounding applause just because it gathers one of the most beautiful Strauss' music ever,perfect singers to their parts,fine engineers at Lukas'church and an insuperable performance of this score by Sinopoli.Previous rewiews tell us enough about the conductor,Voigt,Heppner,...I would like to add up some greetings to this so sweet Harlekin singing by Stephan Genz(what a gorgeous "Lieben,Hassen"!)and his valuable understanding on Strauss' chamber music lines to this character.Likewise,three very clever nymphs standing out trumpeters "Nymphen zogen ihn auf!",that so shining Bacchus entrance(of course,fast tempo by Sinopoli providing that).I believe that comparisons must be avoided just because this recording is a really first class one.However,in spite of very qualified Dessay's singing,I still think Kathleen Battle just enlighten Zerbinetta's complexities to the world.What a pity there're her Met live performance only.

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