Some filth or dementia from Remko Jas
To make a success of the Empress in Frau ohne Schatten, it is not enough to be a fine singer and a great actress.
By Remko Jas
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Anne Schwanewilms
17 pieces since 2011 — in 7 roles, at 4 companies, most often at Salzburg Festival.
17
pieces
7
roles
4
companies
16
years
3 pieces as Empress — stats above show all coverage for Anne Schwanewilms.
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Two ladies in the shade…
The simple fable at the heart of Die Frau ohne Schatten shouldn’t be difficult to parse, but Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s libretto juggles its vaguely Jungian, vaguely Arabian Nights symbolitry as if with intent to mystify and bewilder.
Shadow, no doubt
Richard Strauss’s “last romantic opera,” as he called Die Frau Ohne Schatten, is and has always been a problem child.