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Ariadne auf Naxos (Benda)
Encyclopedia
Ariadne auf Naxos is a duodrama in one act by composer
Georg Benda
with a German
libretto by Johann Christian Brandes. The opera
's first performance was at the Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha
, on 27 January 1775.
, an attempt is to merge spoken dialogue with music, making it the only form of opera with no singing. Brandes wrote the text of Ariadne auf Naxos for his wife Charlotte
, a famous singer and actress of the day. She played the part of Ariadne in the premiere. The basis for Brandes' libretto was a cantata
by Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg
. However, Tim Ashley in his review of a 2005 performance of the work, suggests that Brandes may have been influenced by Virgil
's Aeneid
, "Theseus is a man of destiny and conscience; Ariadne has no Bacchus to redeem her and instead commits suicide after seeing Theseus sail away".
Mozart attended a production of Ariadne auf Naxos and became a great admirer of Benda's compositions. In 1778 he wrote to his father expressing the desire to compose a duodrama entitled Semiramide on the model of Benda's Ariadne auf Naxos and Medea
. He believed at the time that melodrama was the way to solve the problems of operatic recitative. However, Mozart never got around to creating a duodrama. He did create a miniature melodrama within his unfinished operetta, Zaide
, written in 1780. Other composers who admired and were influenced by Benda's melodramas include Carl Maria von Weber
and Ludwig van Beethoven
.
Although not performed often, Benda's Ariadne has remained in the performance repertoire since it first premiered and a number of recordings of the work have been made. Most recently, the work was performed in August 2005 at the Edinburgh International Festival
in a double bill with Mozart's Zaide
. The cast included Dagmar Manzel
as Ariadne and Rainer Trost as Theseus. Charles Mackerras
conducted the English National Opera
orchestra.
is sleeping on the shore of the island of Naxos, as Theseus
, her lover, looks down on her resting form. Theseus feels there is a destiny placed upon him and feels that he can not stay tied to Ariadne and fulfill that destiny. He slips away from Ariadne on his ship, leaving her stranded alone on Naxos. Ariadne awakes to find herself deserted by the faithless Theseus. Ariadne despairs and commits suicide.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Georg Benda
Georg Benda
Jiří Antonín Benda, also Georg Anton Benda or J.A. Benda was a Czech kapellmeister, violinist and composer of the classical period.-Biography:...
with a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
libretto by Johann Christian Brandes. The opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
's first performance was at the Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
, on 27 January 1775.
Historical background and musical analysis
Ariadne auf Naxos belonged to the genre known as German melodramaMelodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
, an attempt is to merge spoken dialogue with music, making it the only form of opera with no singing. Brandes wrote the text of Ariadne auf Naxos for his wife Charlotte
Charlotte Wilhelmina Franziska Brandes
Charlotte Wilhelmina Franziska Brandes was a German singer, pianist, actress and composer. She was born in Berlin, the daughter of actress Ester Charlotte Brandes née Koch and playwright Johann Christian Brandes, and toured with her parents in Europe, performing on stage at an early age...
, a famous singer and actress of the day. She played the part of Ariadne in the premiere. The basis for Brandes' libretto was a cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
by Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg
Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg
Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg was a German poet and critic.Gerstenberg was born in Tondern, Schleswig. After attending school in Husum and at the Christianeum Hamburg, and studying law at the University of Jena, he entered the Danish military service and took part in the Russian campaign of 1762...
. However, Tim Ashley in his review of a 2005 performance of the work, suggests that Brandes may have been influenced by Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, "Theseus is a man of destiny and conscience; Ariadne has no Bacchus to redeem her and instead commits suicide after seeing Theseus sail away".
Mozart attended a production of Ariadne auf Naxos and became a great admirer of Benda's compositions. In 1778 he wrote to his father expressing the desire to compose a duodrama entitled Semiramide on the model of Benda's Ariadne auf Naxos and Medea
Medea (Benda)
Medea is a melodrama in one act with five scenes by composer Georg Benda with a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter. The work was first performed in Leipzig at the Theater am Rannstädtertor on 1 May 1775.-Historical impact and musical analysis:...
. He believed at the time that melodrama was the way to solve the problems of operatic recitative. However, Mozart never got around to creating a duodrama. He did create a miniature melodrama within his unfinished operetta, Zaide
Zaide
Zaide is an unfinished opera, K. 344, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1780. Emperor Joseph II, in 1778, was in the process of setting up an opera company for the purpose of performing German opera. One condition required of the composer to join this company was that he should write a...
, written in 1780. Other composers who admired and were influenced by Benda's melodramas include Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
and Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
.
Performance history
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
in a double bill with Mozart's Zaide
Zaide
Zaide is an unfinished opera, K. 344, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1780. Emperor Joseph II, in 1778, was in the process of setting up an opera company for the purpose of performing German opera. One condition required of the composer to join this company was that he should write a...
. The cast included Dagmar Manzel
Dagmar Manzel
Dagmar Manzel is a German actress. She has appeared in over 50 films and television shows since 1983. She starred in the 1986 film So Many Dreams, which was entered into the 37th Berlin International Film Festival....
as Ariadne and Rainer Trost as Theseus. Charles Mackerras
Charles Mackerras
Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
conducted the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
orchestra.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, January 27, 1775 (Conductor: – ) |
|---|---|---|
| Ariadne | speaking role | Charlotte Brandes |
| Theseus | speaking role | |
Synopsis
AriadneAriadne
Ariadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
is sleeping on the shore of the island of Naxos, as Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
, her lover, looks down on her resting form. Theseus feels there is a destiny placed upon him and feels that he can not stay tied to Ariadne and fulfill that destiny. He slips away from Ariadne on his ship, leaving her stranded alone on Naxos. Ariadne awakes to find herself deserted by the faithless Theseus. Ariadne despairs and commits suicide.
Discography
- Benda Melodramas: Ariadne auf Naxos/Pygmalion with conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Christian BendaChristian BendaChristian Benda is a Czech cellist, composer, and conductor, descended from the 18th century Benda family of composers.He performs worldwide both as a soloist and a conductor....
and the Prague Chamber Orchestra. Cast: Brigitte Quadlbauer (Ariadne) and Peter Uray (Theseus). Released in 1996 on the Naxos label.
- Melodrama: Carl Eberwein's Proserpina and Georg Benda's Ariadne auf Naxos with conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Peter Gulke and the Symphony Orchestra Wuppertal. Released in 1997 on the Gold label.