Ariadne auf Naxos

The story of Ariadne, abandoned by Theseus, has inspired many composers from Monteverdi to Richard Strauss to a multitude of interpretations of this ancient myth. It also inspired Nicola Antonio Porpora whose Arianna in Nasso was first performed in 1733 with Farinelli as the debut production at the newly founded Opera of Nobility that had been established to rival Handel’s opera company. Porpora, only a year younger than Handel, was not only one of the greatest composers and singing teachers of his day, but was also held in higher regard on the continent than his rival who, only a few months later, presented his own version of this tale in London.