The Power of Music

Vienna’s richest man is putting on a party at his home. He has asked two rival theatre companies to stage a performance each. One company will perform the serious opera ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’. The other will perform a comedy. Tensions mount and nerves fray as the two companies work around each other back stage. However chaos fully ensues when an announcement is made, both the tragedy and the comedy must be combined into a single performance to leave time for a firework display.

Ariadne auf Naxos is one of Richard Strauss’ finest achievements. Strauss masterfully combines deeply moving, tragic opera with boisterous comedy to create an exquisite celebration of the power of music. Neil Armfield’s celebrated production receives its first performances at Wales Millennium Centre. The cast includes acclaimed mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly making her return to the company. Ariadne auf Naxos promises to make you both laugh and cry, and sometimes at the same time.

Sung in German with surtitles in English (and Welsh in theatres in Wales).

Running time approximately 2 hours 20 minutes.

To find out more about WNO extra click here

Click here to download Opera Live

Conductor Lothar Koenigs Director Neil Armfield Lighting Designer Tim Mitchell Choreographer Denni Sayers Designer Dale Ferguson