If you are one of those listeners who found Levine's tempos in his recent DG Ariadne too mercurial and wayward, you will probably prefer Kurt Masur's approach on this new Philips recording. He keeps nearer to the score's indications, though occasionally he is rather staid, but he is always deeply musical. I liked Levine's interpretation, which seems to me to match the quixotic spirit of the opera, so there are other reasons why, given a choice, I would opt for Masur's as the best of present-day recordings of this difficult and ever-fascinating piece. The principal reasons are the singing and the actual recording, which has a bloom to it that, again, suits the music. It is very well balanced and, although made in the studio, it does give an impression of the theatre.
First, the Prologue. Neither DG nor Philips can match the sparkle of the Karajan EMI issue from the 1950s, recently transferred to CD so successfully, which has the incomparable advantage of Irmgard Seefried's Composer. But Julia Varady—slightly to my surprise, I must confess—is very good indeed, singing with fire and, where required, tenderness (a lovely ''Du Venus sohn''), her tone always steady and rich. She has no trouble with the high-lying parts of the role, whereas Baltsa on DG does (and is miscast anyway, I think). A splendid performance, but will no one record Trudeliese Schmidt in this role? Fischer-Dieskau is in good gruff voice as the Music Master avoiding that hectoring tone which often afflicts Lim nowadays, and his exchanges with the Major-domo—a low-key performance by Rudolf Asmus, condescending and nicely understated—are properly entertaining (but how disconcerting to hear him twice sing ''Ari-hadne''!).
Edita Gruberova is the Zerbinetta a role for which she has rightly enjoyed worldwide acclaim as has Kathleen Battle, who sings it for DG. Like Battle in her recording, Gruberova is not quite at her most brilliant and incisive, 98 per cent say. She does not conceal some breath-control problems in her big aria, but one feels churlish to criticize such a brilliant achievement with its crystalline trills. Battle is more coquettish, but Gruberova's stronger and fuller tone is more Straussian. The males in her troupe are well cast, headed by Olaf Bar as an outstanding Harlequin, easily the best on record.
But where the recording scores most convincingly over any recent rivals is in the casting of Ariadne and Bacchus. Jessye Norman brings to the title-role opulence of tone, nobility of phrasing and Straussian richness none of which Tomowa-Sintow (DG) commands in equal degree. She is not, I agree, a Straussian soprano in the Viennese or Munich mould—some charm lacking, some may feel. But charm is not a prerequisite for Ariadne and Norman gives us the classical dignity and tragedy of the role in generous measure—incomparably today, too, I would suggest. Both ''Ein Schones war'' and ''Es gibt ein Reich'' are marvellously sung. Her trio of nymphs are excellent, with Julie Kaufmann particularly impressive as Echo.
And we all know how Ariadne can be wrecked by the tenor who sings Bacchus, to the extent that one sometimes wonders if it is Strauss's fault and the role is really impossible to perform satisfactorily except by the likes of Roswaenge and Lorenz in the past. The Canadian Heldentenor Paul Frey, who has had successes in Wagner and Strauss at Bayreuth and Munich respectively, here makes one ashamed of these doubts and misgivings by really singing the role, riding the climaxes effortlessly and tunefully and, with Norman, making the final duet the ecstatic experience Strauss had in mind but which so rarely materializes.
The playing of the instrumentalists from the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is exemplary, with some exquisite work by the solo cello and horn and a particularly nimble pianist. The recording captures much detail without exaggerating it and has exceptional clarity. There's no doubt in my mind that this is an Ariadne with outstanding virtues.'