The opening dialogue between the music master and major domo is taken annoyingly slowly--how perfectly we get to dislike the pretentious major domo (in the snide person of Romuald Pekny)--immediately! The whole prologue is then of a piece: the running back and forth is vivid and the mounting anxiety of the composer, made absolutely real by Anne Sophie von Otter, never has been better; indeed her performance is one for the books. And then on to the opera: Deborah Voigt is absolutely lovely, singing with warmth and commitment, easily the equal of those stars of the so-called "Golden Age"; Natalie Dessay is in a class by herself, the voice bigger and richer than most Zerbinettas--but both her pyrotechnics and interpretation (what a fox!) are magnificent. And in Ben Heppner we at last find a tenor who can handle Strauss' almost impossible line: his voice rings out like a true hero, he's vocally secure enough to pay attention to the words, and he partners Voigt like Nureyev did Fonteyn. The Harlekin of Stephan Ganz is ideally perky, and the rest of the cast is top-notch, with the manic outcries of Naiad, Dryade, and Echo suitably melodramatic. This Ariadne goes to the top of the list--recommended to all lovers of Strauss and great singing, and, possibly, the performance that might convert non-Ariadne lovers to true fans. [11/20/2001]