In folklore, to lose one’s shadow is always a harbinger of misfortune. The dyer’ wife runs this risk in being willing to barter her shadow for a more affluent life than the one she leads at the side of the poor dyer Barak. Her shadow is the token of her womanliness, which she is prepared to relinquish so that another, the Empress, may fulfil her as yet childless marriage. But the deal has no success. The dyer’s wife realizes that she is threatening her own life through her thoughtless manoeuvre, and the Empress is tortured by her conscience. Both have to learn that they must curb their own selfish desires and rise above themselves if they are not to destroy the happiness of others.

It was to become a magic tale, along the lines of the Magic Flute but in a much deeper and more significant manner, as Richard Strauss (1864-1949) wrote to his wife Pauline about his renewed collaboration with Hugo von Hofmannsthal, with which both artists hoped in 1911 to follow up on the great success of their “Rosenkavalier”. But their work was obstructed by the outbreak of the First World War, which overshadowed their intended human parable and vision of better times. When it was finally premièred in 1919 in Vienna it established itself as a monumental achievement of operatic history which still today presents the greatest challenge to artistic abilities.

In Guy Joosten’s staging and under Axel Kober’s musical direction in the 2010/11 season the Düsseldorf production was transferred to Duisburg and again aroused the enthusiasm of critics and public alike. Now “Die Frau ohne Schatten” is coming back to Düsseldorf and will be heard anew after the rebuilding of the orchestra pit.

“Musically this “Frau ohne Schatten” is an overcoming experience which justifies a journey of any length to see. The work has all the passion of “Salome” enlarged into the dimensions of “Rosenkavalier”. Despite the resulting duration of four hours the fairytale story of two couples questing for happiness and/or parentship is a pleasure free from longueurs”.
Rudolf Hermes, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung

 
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Richard Strauss

DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
Opera in three acts
Text by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
 
In German with surtitles
 

Musikalische Leitung Axel Kober
Inszenierung Guy Joosten
Bühne und Kostüme Johannes Leiacker
Licht Manfred Voss
Dramaturgie Luc Joosten
Chorleitung Gerhard Michalski
 
Kaiser Corby Welch
Kaiserin Morenike Fadayomi
Amme Susan Maclean
Barak Tomasz Konieczny
Färberin Linda Watson
Der Einäugige Bruno Balmelli
Der Einarmige Timo Riihonen
Der Bucklige Johannes Preißinger
Geisterbote Stefan Heidemann
Hüter der Schwelle Iulia Elena Surdu
Jüngling Manfred Fink
Erscheinung des Jünglings Gregor Hildebrand
Falke Iryna Vakula
Erscheinung des Falken Guido Reinhold
Stimme von oben Geneviève King
Geister- / Kinderstimmen Jessica Stavros, Maria Kataeva
Geister- / Kinderstimmen/ Dienerinnen Sandra Michaela Diehl, Iulia Elena Surdu
Geister-/ Kinderstimmen/ Dienerinnen Geneviève King
Geisterstimme Franziska Orendi
Chor Chor der Deutschen Oper am Rhein
Orchester Düsseldorfer Symphoniker