What does Ariadne auf Naxos mean in English?

In a letter written in 1924, Hugo von Hofmannsthal mentions Ariadne auf Naxos, calling it: “our favourite child.” The work was originally conceived as a brief divertissement to complement the staging of Molière’s Bourgeois Gentilhomme for which Richard Strauss had composed stage music “in the manner of” Lully.

What is the opera Ariadne about?

THE OPERA. The Ariadne myth tells how Prince Theseus of Athens set out for Crete to kill the Minotaur, a creature half man, half bull, who was concealed in a labyrinth.

Who wrote opera Ariadne?

Richard StraussAriadne auf Naxos / ComposerRichard Georg Strauss was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. Wikipedia

What happens to Ariadne daughter of King Minos?

Read a brief summary of this topic Here the legends diverge: she was abandoned by Theseus and hanged herself; or, Theseus carried her to Naxos and left her there to die, and she was rescued by and married the god Dionysus.

What is the plot of Ariadne auf Naxos?

Ariadne, who has been abandoned by Theseus, laments her lost love and yearns for death. Zerbinetta and her four companions from the commedia dell’arte troupe attempt to cheer Ariadne by singing and dancing, but without success. Zerbinetta insists that the best way to cure a broken heart is to find another love.

What is the story of the opera Ariadne auf Naxos?

Why did Dionysus marry Ariadne?

He instantly fell in love, and when Ariadne woke up, he asked her why she was so said about losing a faithless mortal when she could be his wife. She accepted Dionysus as her husband, and also found out that he was a god. They had a happy marriage and had many children together.

Why was Ariadne killed?

Ariadne betrayed her father and her country for her lover Theseus. She eloped with Theseus after he killed the Minotaur, yet according to Homer in the Odyssey “he had no joy of her, for ere that, Artemis slew her in seagirt Dia because of the witness of Dionysus”.