The 100-year-old woman without a shadow
Published: 16 November, 2009, 10:30
Edited: 01 October, 2010, 19:02
Opera "Die Frau ohne Schatten" (image from mariinsky.ru)
Richard Strauss’s most distinguished opera, “The Woman without a Shadow”, has been staged at the Mariinsky Theatre, almost one hundred years after its world premiere in Vienna.
The fairy-tale opera has been brought together by British theatre and opera director Jonathan Kent.
His professional credits include, among many others, staging Puccini’s “Tosca” for the Royal Opera House; Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” for the Glyndebourne Festival; as well as Richard Strauss’ “Elektra” at the Mariinsky Theatre.
Music critics consider “The Woman without a Shadow” one of Strauss’ most complicated works, which the composer once described as his “child of woe” created during the First World War.
Strauss’ most favorite opera is, however, a real challenge for singers who started work on the opera at the Mariinsky theatre last autumn.
The opera is conducted by maestro Valery Gergiev and performed in German. Therefore the stage director has employed an experienced opera coach – Richard Trimborn – to help the Russian cast vocally and in terms of language.
Award-winning artists will perform in “The Woman without a Shadow”, including the stars of the Mariinsky Theatre, soprano Irina Vasilieva and tenor Avgust Amonov.
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