Ariadne auf Naxos Is the March 12, 2022, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Ariadne auf Naxos is the March 12, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as Met Opera's 11th 2021-2022 season's Saturday matinee opera broadcast.

Three spirits in Elijah Moshinsky’s Met Opera production of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, 1997; photograph by Johan Elbers/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images: The Guardian @guardian, via Twitter Jan. 25, 2021

Ariadne auf Naxos is the March 12, 2022 Saturday matinee broadcast, numbering as the 11th of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season.

Ariadne auf Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949) receives five performances in the 2021-2022 season. The season's first and second performances of Ariadne auf Naxos took place Tuesday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 5 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The third through fifth, closing performances are scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 12, at 1:00 p.m.; and Thursday, March 17, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Marek Janowski conducts all 2021-2022 season performances of Ariadne auf Naxos. The Polish-born German conductor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Feb. 20, 1984, in the opera house's 31st performance of Strauss's Arabella.

Lise Davidsen sings the title role of Greek mythology's Cretan princess, for whom Naxos transforms from a place of abandonment by Theseus to an island of love with Bacchus in Strauss's opera within an opera. The Norwegian lyric dramatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 29, 2019, as Lisa in the opera house's 72nd performance of The Queen of Spades by Russian late Romantic era composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893).

Ariadne auf Naxos numbers as the first of three Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Lise Davidsen. She sings Chrysothemis in the April 16 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Strauss's Elektra. She also sings Eva in the May 14 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Brenda Rae sings Zerbinetta, the leader of the Prologue's burlesque troupe. The American operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, as Poppea in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Agrippina by German-British baroque composer George Frideric Handel (Feb. 23, 1685-April 14, 1759).

Ariadne auf Naxos numbers as the first of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Brenda Rae. She also sings Ophelia in the June 4 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Hamlet by contemporary Australian composer, violist and conduct Brett Dean.

Isabel Leonard sings the trouser role of the Prologue's young Composer, who is frustrated by interference with his work on the Greek myth of Ariadne. The American operatic mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2007, as Stéphano in the opera house’s 312th performance of Roméo et Juliette by 19th-century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Update: The Metropolitan Opera announced, via Twitter Thursday, March 17, 2022, at 5:30 p.m., the replacement of Isabel Leonard by Olivia Vote as the Composer in the evening's closing performance of Ariadne aux Naxos. The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, March 1, 2019, as Countess Ceprano in the opera company's 890th performance of Rigoletto by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Ariadne auf Naxos numbers as the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Isabel Leonard. She sang the title role in the New Year's Day, Jan. 1, Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Cinderella by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

Brandon Jovanovich sings Bacchus, Greek mythology's god of wine, who finds happiness with Ariadne in the opera within an opera. The American operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, as Don José in the opera house's 952nd performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Sean Michael Plumb sings Harlequin, who attracts Zerbinetta, in the opera's Prologue. The American lyric baritone's appearance in the opera's first performance in the 2021-2022 season marked his Met Opera debut.

Johannes Martin Kränzle sings the Prologue's Music Master, who is tasked with persuading the Composer to make changes to his musical work on the myth of Ariadne. The German operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, as Kothner in the opera house's 410th performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Ariadne auf Naxos numbers as the first of Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Johannes Martin Kränzle. He sings Beckmesser in the May 14 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Sir Thomas Allen sings the Prologue's Major-domo, who injects confusion with his announcement of time constraints requiring changes in the young Composer's musical presentation. The English operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Nov. 5, 1981, as Papageno in the opera house’s 247th performance of Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Elijah Moshinsky (Jan. 8, 1946-Jan. 14, 2021) directed the production of Ariadne auf Naxos, which had debuted Thursday, March 11, 1993, in the opera's 53rd performance at Met Opera. The Australian opera director had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Feb. 4, 1980, in the opera house's 153rd performance of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera.

Michael Yeargan designed the production's sets and costumes. The American opera and theater designer's set and costume designs for the production's 1993 debut marked his Met Opera debut.

Gil Wechsler designed the production's lighting. The American theatrical lighting designer had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Jan. 18, 1977, in the opera house's 74th performance of Le Prophète by German Jewish opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Sept. 5, 1791-May 2, 1864).

The 2021-2022 season's first performance of Ariadne auf Naxos numbered as the opera's 92nd performance at the opera house. The opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere had occurred Saturday, Dec. 29, 1962. In its premiere season, 1962-1963, Ariadne auf Naxos received eight performances.

The takeaways for Ariadne auf Naxos as the March 12, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast are that Strauss's opera within an opera is scheduled as the 2021-2022 season's 11th of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts; that Ariadne auf Naxos numbers as the first of three Saturday matinee opera broadcasts for Lise Davidsen and as the first of two for Brenda Rae and for Johannes Martin Kränzle; and that Ariadne auf Naxos numbers as the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts for Isabel Leonard.

Marek Janowski conducts the 2021-2022 season's five performances of Ariadne auf Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss: Music History @today_classical, via Twitter Feb. 18, 2020

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Three spirits in Elijah Moshinsky’s Met Opera production of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, 1997; photograph by Johan Elbers/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images: The Guardian @guardian, via Twitter Jan. 25, 2021, @ https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1353836616918380544

Marek Janowski conducts the 2021-2022 season's five performances of Ariadne auf Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss: Music History @today_classical, via Twitter Feb. 18, 2020, @ https://twitter.com/today_classical/status/1362386797351870467/photo/1

For further information:

"Debut: Elijah Moshinsky." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 260380 New Production Un Ballo in Maschera {153} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/4/1980.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=260380

“Debut: Isabel Leonard.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352067 Roméo et Juliette {312} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/25/2007.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352067

"Debut: Marek Janowski." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 275510 Arabella {31} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/20/1984.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=275510

"Debut: Olivia Vote." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357163 Rigoletto {890} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/01/2019.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357163

"Debut: Raimund Herincx, Gil Wechsler, Stuart Sebastian." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 248030 New production Le Prophète {74} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/18/1977.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=248030

“Debut: Thomas Allen.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 266530 Die Zauberflöte {247} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1981.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=266530

"Debuts: Alain Altinoglu, Brandon Jovanovich." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353331 Carmen {952} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/27/2010
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353331

"Debuts: Brenda Rae, Nicholas Tamagna." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357409 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Agrippina {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/06/2020.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357409

"Debuts: Johannes Martin Kränzle, Benjamin Bliss, Martin Gantner." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355664 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {410} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/02/2014. Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 74 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355664

"Debuts: Thomas Moser, Michael Yeargan." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 311710 New Production Ariadne auf Naxos {53} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/11/1993.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=311710

"Debuts: Vasily Petrenko, Lise Davidsen, Igor Golovatenko, Patrick Cook, Mané Galoyan." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357330 The Queen of Spades {72} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/29/2019. Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 75 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355411

The Guardian @guardian. "Elijah Moshinsky obituary." Twitter. Jan. 25, 2021.
Available @ https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1353836616918380544

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2021-2022 Season Has 28 Saturday Matinee Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-operas-2021-2022-season-has-28.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "For this evening’s performance of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, the role of Composer will be sung by Olivia Vote. #CastChange." Twitter. March 17, 2022.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1504570858651717635

Music History @today_classical. "#Today in 1939 Birth of Polish #conductor Marek #Janowski. #MusicHistory #classicalmusic." Twitter. Feb. 18, 2020.
Available @ https://twitter.com/today_classical/status/1362386797351870467/photo/1

"New Production: Ariadne auf Naxos." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 311710 New Production Ariadne auf Naxos {53} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/11/1993.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=311710

Opera magazine @operamagazine. "Very sad news: director Elijah Moshinsky has died, aged 75." Twitter. Jan. 15, 2021.
Available @ https://twitter.com/operamagazine/status/1350184696681000963