Richard Strauss

Die Frau ohne Schatten op. 65/TrV 234

Die Frau ohne Schatten, Op. 65 / TrV 234 (The Woman Without a Shadow) was composed between 1914 and 1917 by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, forming one of the most ambitious collaborations between the composer and poet. Conceived as a richly symbolic fairy-tale opera influenced by Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, the work tells the story of the Empress, a supernatural being who must obtain a "shadow" - symbolizing humanity, fertility, and compassion - or her husband, the Emperor, will be turned to stone. Her quest intertwines with the troubled marriage of the dyer Barak and his Wife, leading ultimately to themes of sacrifice, reconciliation, and moral transformation. The opera's composition was interrupted by World War I, and its vast orchestral forces and philosophical complexity reflect both the luxuriant late-Romantic style of Strauss and the cultural anxieties of the era. Die Frau ohne Schatten premiered on October 10, 1919, at the Vienna State Opera under Franz Schalk and quickly gained recognition as one of Strauss's most profound stage works. Today the opera occupies a distinguished place in the 20th-century operatic repertoire, though its scale and demands make it a comparatively infrequent but highly significant production for major opera houses. Instrumentation: 4(3-4 dPicc).3(3rd dEH).4(3rd dBstHn; 4th dBCl)+1(ECl).4(4th d.CBsn): 8(5-8 dTTuba).6.4.1: Timp.Perc(7-8): 2Hp.2Clst.GlssHarm: Str (4+4.8.3+3.3+3.4 in set): Banda (2.1.2.1: 1.6.6.0: 4Tam.Wind/Thndr.Org): Vocal soli (22: SSSSSSSAATTTTBBBBBBBBB): Mix Chor. Reprint edition.