Premiere 23/4/2025 Subsequent performances: 27*, 30 April and 3, 6, 10 May 2025 | Curtain-up: 19:00 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 22 August 2024 | Price Category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet New Production Opera in three acts Sung in German Libretto Hugo von Hofmannsthal Musical direction Marc Albrecht Stage director Katie Mitchell Set and costume designer Naomi Dawson Lighting designer James Farncombe Video designer Jon Lyle Dramaturgy Klaus Bertisch The Emperor AJ Glueckert Die Kaiserin Sara Jakubiak Die Amme Michaela Schuster Eine Stimme von Oben Eva Kroon Barak der Färber Josef Wagner Sein Weib (Die Färberin) Aušrinė Stundytė Der Einarmige Sam Carl Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper Nieuw Amsterdams Children’s Chorus (part of Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam) Partner In Die Frau ohne Schatten, composer Richard Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal created a multi-layered fairy tale about two couples in search of a meaningful new life in a cold, barren world. The Empress, who is from the spirit world, needs to acquire a shadow. If she fails, her human lover, The Emperor, will turn to stone. Encouraged by her Nurse, she tries to obtain the shadow of The Dyer’s Wife. For both The Empress and The Dyer’s Wife, this signifies the start of a quest for the fulfilment of their desires. When Marc Albrecht conducted Die Frau ohne Schatten in 2008, it led to his appointment as chief conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. When he stepped down in 2020, he had wanted to present this opera as a fitting finale to his tenure as chief conductor. Those plans had to be postponed due to the pandemic, but can now finally be executed. Katie Mitchell The award-winning theatre and opera director Katie Mitchell is a prominent figure in the international opera world. She is known for being particularly attuned to social wrongs and inequality. At Dutch National Opera, she previously made a deep impression with her raw, realistic reading of Janáček’s Jenůfa (2018). In Die Frau ohne Schatten, The Empress’s search for a shadow is linked to the ability to have children. All grist to the mill for Mitchell, who will critically dissect the opera’s conservative ideals in her own inimitable fashion. Die Frau ohne Schatten Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949) The search for fulfilment OUTSTANDING STRAUSS ENSEMBLE For Die Frau ohne Schatten, Dutch National Opera has assembled a cast of singers of the highest calibre. Acclaimed soprano Aušrinė Stundytė is making her DNO debut performing the demanding role of the Dyer’s Wife for the first time. Also making a house debut is heldentenor AJ Glueckert in the role of The Emperor. Sara Jakubiak, praised for her ‘plush-voiced, impressive soprano’, returns to DNO as his wife, The Empress. Bass-baritone Josef Wagner, who recently made a remarkable debut in Amsterdam with his perceptive and moving interpretation of The Fiddler in Humperdinck’s Königskinder (2022), will be taking on the challenging role of Barak. Last but not least, seasoned mezzo-soprano Michaela Schuster returns to Amsterdam in her signature role of The Nurse. 57
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