[Multimedia reflections upon hearing Deborah Voigt and Laura Claycomb
sing a musically overwhelming and dramatically fabulous Ariadne-Zerbinetta
duet in the SF Opera's current production of "Ariadne auf Naxos," the two
former Merolini bringing the characters to life in complex, effortless,
unforgettable performances.]

It's an "X Files" episode that never was.  Richard Strauss is the main
character, eluding Agent Scully (who wouldn't want to?), and stealthily
at work on his 1912 "Ariadne auf Naxos," taking place in 17th century
Vienna.  Using his time machine, parked in Area 53.  Strauss is modeling
his work on Laurence Olivier's 1957 "The Prince and the Showgirl," about
a romance in London during the 1911 coronation of George V.

It was not Olivier's finest hour either as director or as the haughty,
pompous prince, but if you saw the movie, surely you remember the showgirl.
The rich little poor girl, naive, blustery, charming, if a bit on the
vulgar side, a pre-Julia-Roberts tough-but-vulnerable secondary role that
steals the spotlight - and an increasingly zaftig, often obviously uncertain
Marilyn Monroe somehow made it work, against great odds.

The challenge is even greater for the showgirl Zerbinetta in "Ariadne,"
as she is matched against the tragic self-absorption of the princess on
the rock: 1.  She is to sing glorious but impossible music, capped with a
15-minute aria of nonstop high notes and trills, acrobatic runs, 2.  She
is virtually forced (both by the music's difficulty and by most directors)
to belt out that aria, "Grossmachtige Prinzessin," disregarding character.
Nine out of 10 singers in the role come front-and-center as would-be (or
real) divas, not the pesky but endearing counterpoint to the grand princess.

And these two homegrown talents (Merola '85 and '89, respectively) go
light years beyond that Hollywood fiasco (which did have its moments).
Voigt's tragic poseur is also flesh and blood, Claycomb's dancing fool
a multi-layered, thought-provoking, believable character, better than
Marilyn (not only in the voice department...:), somebody you take with
you, far into the night, as you dream up new "X Files" episodes.

Janos Gereben/SF
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