A rich man employs a young composer to write an opera for his party: The result is Ariadne on Naxos. But because this tragic opera about Ariadne, deserted by her former lover Theseus, is not entertaining enough for the host, he also invites a troupe of burlesque comedians to strut their stuff alongside the tragedians. This outrage for the composer presents itself as an opportunity: The grief of the abandoned can be contrasted with the joie de vivre of the comedienne Zerbinetta. In his staging of the work, David Hermann juxtaposes the world of Greek tragedy with the frippery of French rococo. »Ariadne auf Naxos«, which premiered in 1916, is an opera about opera, about loyalty and change, as well as the transformative power of love.