Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos

Recorded at the Semperoper Dresden in 1999, this production of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos revels in the opera's brilliant mix of high art and backstage chaos. Colin Davis conducts the Saechsische Staatskapelle Dresden, while Marco Arturo Marelli's staging turns the clash between lofty opera and lively commedia into a sparkling theatrical game. Susan Anthony leads the cast as the Prima Donna, joined by Iride Martinez's quicksilver Zerbinetta, Sophie Koch's ardent Composer and Jon Villars as an unexpectedly heroic Bacchus. With designs by Dagmar Niefind-Marelli and the lighting of Friedwald Degen, the production captures the wit, colour and shifting moods of Strauss's hybrid masterpiece.