Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten

Richard Strauss and his librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal conceived Die Frau ohne Schatten as their joint masterpiece, a grand, richly woven allegory that tells of the shadowless fairy tale Empress and her search for humanity. Inspired by The Magic Flute – as well as dozens of other sources in world literature – it's a work that is open to multiple interpretations, as explored here by this 2013 production by Krzysztof Warlikowski. Musically, this was one of the highlights of Kirill Petrenko's reign at the Nationaltheater, and he conducts a superb cast – including Adrianne Pieczonka as the Empress and Johan Botha as the Emperor – in an exemplary account of one of Strauss's most kaleidoscopic, powerful and – ultimately – thrilling scores.