Summary
L'abandon d'Ariane (The Abandonment of Ariane or, in German, Die Verlassene Ariadne), Op. 98, is an opera in one act by Darius Milhaud to a French libretto by Henri Hoppenot, based on Greek mythology. It is the second of three Opéras-Minutes (Mini-Operas) that Milhaud composed. It came between L'Enlèvement d'Europe, Op. 94, and La Délivrance de Thésée, Op. 99, with librettos also by Henri Hoppenot (1891–1977), a French diplomat. The three operas together last about twenty-seven minutes.
| L'abandon d'Ariane | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Darius Milhaud | |
 Milhaud in 1923 | |
| Librettist | Henri Hoppenot |
| Language | French |
| Based on | Ariadne myth |
| Premiere | 20 April 1928 |
Performance history edit
The first performance of the trilogy - L'Enlèvement d'Europe, L'Abandon d'Ariane and La Délivrance de Thésée - was at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Germany, on 20 April 1928. These performances were given in a German translation by Rudolph Stephan Hoffmann.
L'Abandon d'Ariane has been recorded several times; however, it is rarely performed live.
Roles edit
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 20 April 1928 (Conductor: Joseph Rosenstock) |
|---|---|---|
| Ariadne, princess of Crete | soprano | |
| Dionysos, god of wine | baritone | |
| Phädra, Ariadne's younger sister | soprano | |
| Theseus, Greek hero | tenor | |
| Bacchantes, sailors chorus | ||
References edit
- Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "L'abandon d'Ariane, 20 April 1928". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
External links edit
- Milhaud, his diplomat librettists, and the influence of Brazil, in The Boeuf chronicles, Pt. 30, by Daniella Thompson.