4/5 Up close and personal
  by Angus W. Grant (Melbourne, Australia)
Towards the end of the aria "Es gibt ein Reich" the carmera slowly zooms in on Jessye Norman's face as the climax builds. It finally stops when her face entirely fills the screen and her voluptous mouth is opened impossibly wide to let the sound pour out, a drop of sweat running down her face. It is thrilling. The cameraman obviously loved her and this is a fabulous opportunitry to watch the mechanics of a great singer up close. Norman is in superb voice and acts most effectively, with wonderful face and hand work. There, you already have enough reasons to buy this disc.

But wait, there's more. What a treat to have Troyanos' composer on film, a singer whose range is perfect for this role: enough low notes for the dark mysterious passages and a thrilling top. She is such a generous singer and to see an artist involve themselves emotionally so wholeheartedly in a performance is compelling. It is fascinating to compare her to Battle for whom emotional engagement was such a challenge. The voice, while incredibly pretty, doesn't impress in this role like Dessay later did (it does sound small) or Gruberova was doing at the same time. It takes the edge off the love duet with Troyanos but luckily for us Levine is a master at wringing out the pathos and yearning in the score. The orchestra is superb and sumptous, making you wonder if he extended the string section for that huge auditorium. As you will read in other reviews King is not much chop as Bacchus, but then who is? Very few. All smaller roles are performed to a high strandard as you would expect from this major house and the production will thrill traditionalists. Is is very OLD SKOOL (and a bit dull when the singing highlights are not dominating. The commedia del'arte characters are twee) and makes no effort to interpret or add new layers of meaning which is what makes the Davis Dresden DVD so compelling.

Worth it just for Norman and Troyanos even if there is much else to enjoy.

5/5 Wonderful music, beautiful!
  by A Miles Fan (Mill Creek, WA)
This is a charming production, with Jessye Norman particularly shining. For some reason, the audience seems to really give Kathleen Battle the louder applause. Don't get me wrong. She sings the part with a bit of comical mood and is quite charming. However, the larger-than-life performance and presence of Norman as Ariadne is the real show-stealer.

Admittedly, James King is a bit uneven. From afar, he sounds okay, but as he comes closer and starts singing with Norman in the duet, he is not as strong. But all in all, higly recommended. The rehearsal (extra feature) is a nice touch too.

5/5 Another great Met performance!
  by D. J. Edwards (Cheshire, CT United States)
Kathleen Battle just about steals the show. With the likes of Norman and King that's saying something. Everyone is in top form. I think King sings the cruel music of Bacchus with stunning accuracy and power along with beautiful tone. Some have been quite critical of his performance! Do we have the same dvd? Sets and costumes are perfect accepting Bacchus's outfit - looks like he's going to a court ball in honor of Marie Antoinette. Everything else is a matinée of great theater. Levine and the Met orchestra are in top form. The endearing and moving composer of Troyanos is a triumph. Jesse Norman sings a marvel of an Ariadne. Her tone, power and lush timber are mesmerizing. All in all, quite a performance! One of the Met's best dvd's.

5/5 Very enjoyable
  by DAJ (New York, NY)
This is one of my very favorite operas--because I like Strauss, and because I have always liked the "opera within an opera" effect he uses here. The star turn in the first act by Tatiana Troyanos as the composer is wonderful. Strauss loved his female singers, and the parts of Ariadne and Zerbinetta are stunners. Jessye Norman sings her heart out as Ariadne. She also sings it on CD, but there is something about the sheer concentration and conviction she has that makes her riviting to watch.

The opinion seems divided here on Kathleen Battle--but I am a fan, and I think that her coquettishness works its charms in this part. She has the range, and hits the notes, while dancing around on stage. Her grand aria is a workout, and she takes it on with aplomb. Another reviewer here thinks a more steely voice is more appropriate to this role, but I think the typical light coloratura of K.B. actually reflects the lightness of this character very well.

The sets are a little heavy, and not as good as the new Met Production. But it is a chance to see two of the most famous prima donnas share the stage together. Not to be missed: the intermission bonus section of James Levine massaging the two massive egos. Very funny, if you know the history behind it.



5/5 For once, both acts done right!
  by Allen A. Smith (Miami, FL)
This production of Ariadne auf Naxos is a delight from start to finish. Tatiana Troyanos has the vocal weight and acting ability to make the tantrums of the 13-year-old composer great fun to watch and to hear. (Remember that both Mozart and Rossini wrote their first operas at even younger ages.) The major-domo and the dance master are comic tours-de-force.
The minimal set of the second act is just what such a composer would have ordered. The inappropriate costumes of Naiad, Dryad, and Echo are just what the nouveau-rich patron would have expected/demanded. Jessie Norman is great both as the bitchy soprano of act I and as the death-obsessed Ariadne of act II. James King deliberately acts his age to connect the ageing tenor of act I with the "youthful" Bacchus of act II, but he still sings like a god. Kathleen Battle is a delight as Zerbinetta. Compared with her CD of the role, she is better in the recitatives on the DVD, but not quite as good in the aria, "Als ein gott kamm jeder gegangen."