Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten
Kirill Petrenko (conductor), Berliner Philharmoniker, Lydia Steier (stage director) — With Clay Hilley (Emperor), Elza van den Heever (Empress), Michaela Schuster (Nurse) …
Thank you for your understanding.
Cast
Lydia Steier — Stage director
Paul Zoller — Stage design
Katharina Schlipf — Costumes
Elana Siberski — Lighting designer
Mark Schachtsiek — Dramaturgy
Tabatha McFadyen — Choreographer
Momme Hinrichs — Video
Rebecca Barrault — Masks
Clay Hilley — Der Kaiser
Elza van den Heever — Die Kaiserin
Michaela Schuster — Die Amme
Wolfgang Koch — Barak, der Färber
Miina-Liisa Värelä — Die Färberin
Vivien Hartert — Ein Mädchen
Peter Hoare — Der Bucklige
Nathan Berg — Der Einarmige
Johannes Weisser — Der Einäugige
Program notes
"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
