Ariane is a late opera (1906) by Jules Massenet.  Now largely forgotten it has recently been recorded by the Palazzetto Bru Zane in their admirably produced series of French rarities.  Unfortunately, unlike some of their other rediscoveries I wasn’t much taken with it.

The plot is an odd take on the Theseus and Ariadne story.  Ariadne helps Theseus defeat the Minotaur then sails away with him to Naxos taking her sister Phaedra with them.  Phaedra and Theseus fall in love and Ariadne is devastated.  When Phaedra learns what effect she has had she curses Aphrodite and attacks a statue of Adonis with a rock.  Aphrodite causes the statue to fall on and kill her.  This is rather more revenge than Ariadne wants so she goes down to the Underworld and trades a bunch of roses to Persephone for Phaedra.  On returning to the light Phaedra vows to give up Theseus but it doesn’t stick and she and Theseus set off for Athens.  Ariadne drowns herself. Continue reading →