They include unusually interesting pairs as Barak, the dyer, and his wife: a performance in English with Pauline Tinsley and Norman Bailey; and José van Dam in his only outing as Barak; and Christine Brewer and Franz Hawlata conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, who died earlier this year.

Probably because she made so few commercial recordings, the exciting Tinsley remains an under-appreciated singer. After her death in 2021, Trove Thursday offered some thrilling live excerpts. A noted Elektra, Tinsley also sang the Färberin in German.

For me, most anything by van Dam is worth seeking out, especially here in a role so ideally suited to the Belgian bass-baritone. His wife in this Swiss performance is the Danish soprano best known for her riveting Senta in the legendary Harry Kupfer Bayreuth Der Fliegende Holländer in which she memorably co-starred with Simon Estes.

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Their Kaiserin is American soprano Karen Huffstodt who is perhaps best remembered for her recording of the French version of Salome which she undertook replacing the frequently MIA Teresa Stratas. The broadcast’s conductor is Armin Jordan, father of Philippe.

A friend of mine, a great Frau fan, was enthusiastic about Brewer’s Färberin which he heard it in Paris (opposite a radiant Eva-Maria Westbroek as the Kaiserin). I’ve never run across a recording from those Westbroek-Brewer performances, but today’s Chicago pirate also features Deborah Voigt’s famous Kaiserin and a young Quinn Kelsey as the Geisterbote.

I attended Brewer’s superb Met debut as Ariadne in 2003 and was sorry that she never returned to the company. The following year she ventured Chrysothemis in concert with the Cleveland Orchestra. She also recorded a CD of Strauss scenes with Donald Runnicles that includes Elektra’s Recognition Scene with Eric Owens giving a glimpse of another role, like Brünnhilde, that the soprano might have beautifully undertaken.

Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten

(in English)
Die Kaiserin: Anne Evans
Färberin: Pauline Tinsley
Die Amme: Patricia Payne
Der Kaiser: Matti Kastu
Barak: Norman Bailey
Der Geisterbote: Geoffrey Moses
Der Einäugige: Russell Smythe
Der Einarmige: Julian Moyle
Der Bucklige: Arthur Davies
Die Erscheinung eines Jünglings: Timothy German

Conductor: Richard Armstrong
Welsh National Opera at Dominion Theatre, London
14 March 1981
Broadcast

Die Kaiserin: Karen Huffstodt
Färberin: Lisbeth Balslev
Die Amme: Nadine Denize
Der Kaiser: Michael Sylvester
Barak: Jose van Dam
Der Geisterbote: Eike Wilm Schulte
Der Einaugige: Fabrice Raviola
Der Einarmige: Andreas Kohn
Der Bucklige: Bengt Ola Morgny
Erscheinung eines Junglings: Alain Gabriel

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Conductor: Armin Jordan
Grand Theatre de Geneve
17 June 1997
Broadcast

Die Kaiserin: Deborah Voigt
Färberin: Christine Brewer
Die Amme: Jill Grove
Der Kaiser: Robert Dean Smith
Barak: Franz Hawlata
Der Geisterbote: Quinn Kelsey
Der Einäugige: Daniel Sutin
Der Einarmige: Andrew Funk
Der Bucklige: John Easterlin
Die Erscheinung eines Jünglings: Bryan Griffin

Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis
Lyric Opera of Chicago
16 December 2007
In-house recording

Each Frau recording can be downloaded by clicking on the icon of a cloud with an arrow pointing downward on the audio player above and the resulting mp3 file will appear in your download directory.

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