Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten

"The tragedy," concludes the Financial Times's five-star review of this Baden-Baden production of Die Frau ohne Schatten, "is that so much work has gone into a production that will only be performed three times… [S]omething this strong ought to have wider reach. Everybody should see it." On medici.tv, everybody can! Tune in and experience "what must surely be a definitive account of [Strauss's] score," performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker under Kirill Petrenko, "unfettered in its force, burnished in its perfection, infused with tenderness and empathy… gut-wrenchingly good."

Can you build your own happiness on the misfortune of others? This is the central theme of this enigmatic and fascinating opera that treats questions of identity, femininity, and motherhood in Lydia Steier’s provocative and "stupendous" modern update, featuring Clay Hilley and Elza van den Heever. Like Klimt covering his murals with gold leaf, Richard Strauss reveled in the musical opulence typical of turn-of-the-century Vienna, calling for five Wagnerian heroes, plus numerous supporting roles, five Chinese gongs, and a glass harmonica. 

Photo © Martin Sigmund