Dresden, 29 February 2024. Following the acclaimed performances of Richard Wagner’s »Tristan und Isolde« in Dresden, the Semperoper is to present another highlight of the current season with a brand-new production of »Die Frau ohne Schatten/The Woman without a Shadow« conducted by Christian Thielemann. On Saturday, 23 March 2024, the curtain will rise for the premiere of David Bösch’s staging of this Straussian masterpiece with a magnificent cast headed by Camilla Nylund, Evelyn Herlitzius, Christa Mayer, Nikola Hillebrand and Eric Cutler. Miina-Liisa Värelä will make her Semperoper debut in this production; two singers make their role debuts are Oleksandr Pushniak and Andreas Bauer Kanabas.
With its five principal roles and large orchestral forces, every performance of Richard Strauss’s seventh opera presents singers and musicians with an unusual set of artistic challenges. The physical staging of this magical story can often be just as demanding as the musical interpretation: A poetic and emotionally gripping tale unfolds about the unfulfilled desire for a child of a half-human daughter of the spirit world and now empress of a mythical set of islands. In her desperation, she is persuaded by her Nurse to enter into an evil pact with a mortal, the poor Dyer.
The fairy-tale opera, which is a brilliant fusion of Richard Strauss’s score and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s libretto, breaks down the boundaries between the ethereal spirit realm and the pitiless world of mankind. The work had its premiere in Vienna in 1919, shortly after the outbreak of World War I; the first performance in a German opera house was here in Dresden, only shortly afterwards. Despite its somewhat controversial portrayal of women, this work still fascinates audiences today with its passionate music and highly poetic use of language.
Since the German premiere in 1919, there have been three further productions of »Die Frau ohne Schatten/The Woman without a Shadow« in Dresden, namely in 1927, 1939 and – most recently – in 1996. Following Korngold’s »Die tote Stadt« (2017) and Verdi’s »Nabucco« (2019), this will be German theatre and opera director David Bösch’s third production for the Semperoper, once again in collaboration with his set designer Patrick Bannwart. The premiere on 23 March 2024 will also help launch this year’s »Richard Strauss Days at the Semperoper«, running from 27 March to 7 April 2024, which will once again celebrate the great composer’s life and work.
To mark the fourth staging of this opera in Dresden, an event entitled »Real und symbolisch: ›Die Zauberflöte‹ und ›Die Frau ohne Schatten‹« will take place on the day of the premiere, moderated by the Semperoper’s chief dramaturge Johann Casimir Eule. His special guest will be musicologist Prof. Laurenz Lütteken, who teaches at ETH Zurich and is the author of many well received publications. In his lecture, Prof. Lütteken will take Goethe’s »Faust« as his starting point from which to explore various aspects of Mozart’s »Die Zauberflöte« and Strauss’s and Hofmannsthal’s »Die Frau ohne Schatten«.
»Die Frau ohne Schatten/The Woman without a Shadow« by Richard Strauss
Staged by David Bösch
Featuring Camilla Nylund, Evelyn Herlitzius, Christa Mayer, Nikola Hillebrand, Lea-ann Dunbar, Miina-Liisa Värelä sowie Eric Cutler, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Martin Mitterrutzner, Oleksandr Pushniak, Rafael Fingerlos, Tilmann Rönnebeck and Tansel Akzeybek
Also on stage: the State Opera Chorus and the Semperoper Children’s Choir.
The Staatskapelle Dresden will be directed by Principal Conductor Christian Thielemann.
Premiere at 4 pm on Saturday, 23 March 2024, in the Semperoper
Additional performances on 27 & 30 March as well as 2 April 2024
»Real und symbolisch: ›Die Zauberflöte‹ und ›Die Frau ohne Schatten‹«
Lecture by Prof. Laurenz Lütteken
Moderation: Chief dramaturge Johann Casimir Eule
At 11 am on Saturday, 23 March 2024, in the Opernkeller (cellar) of the Semperoper
Tickets for all performances can be purchased from the Schinkelwache box office on Theaterplatz (+49 (0)351 4911 705). A 3D-seating plan is available on the Semperoper’s online ticket shop to aid your choice of tickets and seats in the auditorium.
Please send any requests for review tickets (along with details of the editorial brief and likely publication dates) presse@semperoper.de.
High-quality photos and other press materials can be downloaded from our dedicated press page at semperoper.de/en/press.
Photo: Premiere motif of »The Woman without a Shadow« © Martin Perlaki. The motif is part of the artistic concept for the premiere posters 2023/24 with a series of works by Martin Perlaki.