Strauss’s Viennese backstage comedy of pretension and pragmatism sees the worlds of art and entertainment collide in a score rich with opulent melodies, witty ensembles and coloratura high jinks, as the comedienne, Zerbinetta, and her sidekicks interrupt the composer’s opera and introduce the tragic heroine Ariadne to a new beau, Bacchus.
At the heart of Strauss’s tour de force – the first opera of his to be performed at OHP – is a battle between high and low art, and the message that, with a little help from unexpected sources, even the most broken of hearts can sometimes be mended.
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The party to end all parties is about to begin. Two contrasting entertainments have been scheduled: a tragic opera by a young composer with high ideals, and a burlesque comedy. Now dinner has overrun, the diva is in a temper, the fireworks are about to begin, and, to everybody’s horror, both groups must perform at the same time.