Already brimming with symbols and transformations, the epic fairytale recounted by Strauss and his librettist Hofmannsthal in Die Frau ohne Schatten acquires a further allegorical dimension in Christoph Loy's inventive production for the Salzburg Festival. The central character, the Empress – half-spirit, half-human, and unable to bear children until she finds a shadow – here becomes a young soprano who makes a voyage of personal and professional discovery as she records the opera. A superb cast fulfils the complex vocal and dramatic demands of the piece while Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic rise gloriously to the challenges of Strauss's most ambitious and splendid operatic score.
Press Reviews "[The Empress] is central throughout, compellingly acted and luminously sung by the marvellous Anne Schwanewilms...Orchestral detail has tremendous clarity and the documentary extra includes pithy insights from cast and crew." (BBC Music Magazine)"Loy's Personregie works well for nearly every singer...Schwanewilms's Empress embodies dignified feminine beauty and dignity." (International Record Review)
Cast Stephen Gould (The Emperor) Anne Schwanewilms (The Empress) Michaela Schuster (The Nurse) Wolfgang Koch (Barak, the Dyer) Evelyn Herlitzius (Barak's Wife) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Christian ThielemannProduction Company: Salzburg Festival Stage Director: Christof Loy
Disc Information Catalogue Number: OABD7104D Date of Performance: 2011 Running Time: 220 minutes Sound: 2.0LPCM 5.1(5.0) DTS Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, ES Label: Opus Arte
