They enjoyed ‘whatever happens’ show by Ariadne auf Naxos. A new opera and a harlequins together into one single work. Strauss’s music takes full advantage of the dramatic potential: the intense lyricism of the Composer, the richly scored encounter of Ariadne and Bacchus, the virtuosic coloratura of flirty but fickle Zerbinetta. Such a musical tour de force needs a world-class cast as here ” led by Deborah Voigt, a leading exponent of her role, and joined by young British singer Gillian Keith, winner of the Ferrier Competition, in a major debut. Christof Loy’s popular production for The Royal Opera combines witty detail with a richly eclectic design of the classic and contemporary, the grand and the down-to-earth. With Mark Elder conducting, everything about this revival makes for an irresistible combination of the fine and the fun.
