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Die Frau ohne Schatten
Richard Strauss
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Revival
Duration: about 4 hours, two intervals |
It was to be a magic fairy-tale that Richard Strauss (1864-1949) and Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1874-1929) planned to follow the success of their joint “Rosenkavalier” – similar to the “Magic Flute”, but “much more profound and meaningful”. What emerged was a monumental musical parable about compassion, self-awareness and self-conquest.
The dyer’s wife allows herself to be talked into giving up her shadow in exchange for a more enjoyable life than she has been living at the side of the poor dyer. The shadow is a symbol for her fertility, and her giving it away will enable another woman, the Empress, to put an end to her childlessness. But the deal does not go through. The dyer’s wife realizes that her irresponsible bargain threatens to ruin her life, and the Empress cannot line it up with her conscience. Both live to learn that they must deny themselves the fulfilment of selfish wishes if they are not to destroy the life happiness of others.
“Director Guy Joosten holds back consciously with his staging of an opera which is overladen with hidden meanings, references and symbols. He concentrates on strong and level-headed images and condenses his handling of the figures into an intimate chamber drama in the spirit of the music”
Constanze Schmidt, NRZ
***
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 / Renée Morloc
Barak Tomasz Konieczny / Franz Grundheber
Färberin Caroline Whisnant / Linda Watson
Der Einäugige Bruno Balmelli
Der Einarmige Lukasz Konieczny / Alexander Vassiliev
Der Bucklige Florian Simson
Geisterbote James Bobby
Hüter der Schwelle Heidi Elisabeth Meier / Iulia Elena Surdu
Jüngling Ovidiu Purcel
Erscheinung des Jünglings Gregor Hildebrand
Falke Jessica Stavros
Erscheinung des Falken Guido Reinhold
Stimme von oben Sarah Ferede
Geister- / Kinderstimmen Annika Kaschenz, Maria Kataeva / Iryna Vakula
Geister- / Kinderstimmen/ Dienerinnen Aïsha Tümmler, Heidi Elisabeth Meier / Iulia Elena Surdu
Geister-/ Kinderstimmen/ Dienerinnen Sarah Ferede
Geisterstimme Franziska Orendi
Chor Chor der Deutschen Oper am Rhein
Orchester Düsseldorfer Symphoniker
The dyer’s wife allows herself to be talked into giving up her shadow in exchange for a more enjoyable life than she has been living at the side of the poor dyer. The shadow is a symbol for her fertility, and her giving it away will enable another woman, the Empress, to put an end to her childlessness. But the deal does not go through. The dyer’s wife realizes that her irresponsible bargain threatens to ruin her life, and the Empress cannot line it up with her conscience. Both live to learn that they must deny themselves the fulfilment of selfish wishes if they are not to destroy the life happiness of others.
“Director Guy Joosten holds back consciously with his staging of an opera which is overladen with hidden meanings, references and symbols. He concentrates on strong and level-headed images and condenses his handling of the figures into an intimate chamber drama in the spirit of the music”
Constanze Schmidt, NRZ
***
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 / Renée Morloc
Barak Tomasz Konieczny / Franz Grundheber
Färberin Caroline Whisnant / Linda Watson
Der Einäugige Bruno Balmelli
Der Einarmige Lukasz Konieczny / Alexander Vassiliev
Der Bucklige Florian Simson
Geisterbote James Bobby
Hüter der Schwelle Heidi Elisabeth Meier / Iulia Elena Surdu
Jüngling Ovidiu Purcel
Erscheinung des Jünglings Gregor Hildebrand
Falke Jessica Stavros
Erscheinung des Falken Guido Reinhold
Stimme von oben Sarah Ferede
Geister- / Kinderstimmen Annika Kaschenz, Maria Kataeva / Iryna Vakula
Geister- / Kinderstimmen/ Dienerinnen Aïsha Tümmler, Heidi Elisabeth Meier / Iulia Elena Surdu
Geister-/ Kinderstimmen/ Dienerinnen Sarah Ferede
Geisterstimme Franziska Orendi
Chor Chor der Deutschen Oper am Rhein
Orchester Düsseldorfer Symphoniker
