Richard Strauss. The Woman Without a Shadow

Magic, mystery and incredible earthly warmth in Richard Strauss's sumptuous opera "The Woman Without a Shadow" staged by the Mariinsky Theatre.

"The woman has no shadow - therefore her husband must turn to stone." Such dramaturgy, which could only come from the world of dreams, formed the basis of the plot of one of the most unusual and fascinating operas of the 20th century. The first to see this dream was not the composer, but his librettist. In 1911, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, an Austrian playwright, proposed an unusual plot to his great friend Richard Strauss. The Empress, a being from the spirit world, must become like all people and acquire a shadow (a symbol of humanity and femininity), or her husband will turn to stone.

The world premiere of the opera took place on October 10, 1919 at the Vienna Opera House, in the midst of post-war economic difficulties, and was met with a cool reception by the public. However, subsequently, "The Woman Without a Shadow" was staged many times on world opera stages. This is one of the most complex scores in the history of music: Strauss used a gigantic orchestra, more than 100 people, and made extremely high demands on the soloists. Rarely can a theater boast of having this opera in its repertoire. In Russia, only the Mariinsky Theater staged its own production of "The Woman Without a Shadow" in 2009.

The fairy-tale Emperor tried to shoot a gazelle while hunting, but it turned into a beautiful girl, who later became his wife. However, having acquired a human form, the woman did not become human: she has no shadow, and she cannot become a mother. The Empress's father, the king of the underground spirits Keikobad, tells his daughter his will: like all people, she must have a shadow, otherwise her husband will turn to stone, and she will return to the underworld forever. There are three days left before the expiration of the term, and the Empress has no hope of saving her husband. The Empress's Nurse, the personification of evil and cruelty, decides to help her mistress obtain a shadow at the cost of someone else's life and happiness. She brings the Empress to the hut of the poor dyer Barak, whose young wife does not want to have children. The Nurse offers her a deal: let her give up her shadow in exchange for power and wealth. The Dyer's Wife agrees, although she hears the reproaches of the unborn children. But in order to give the Empress the shadow and the ability to become a mother, she must betray her husband. The Nurse uses her magic to create a ghostly image of her lover. The Empress feels increasingly disgusted by the deception, although she strives to save her husband, who has already turned to stone. A turning point also occurs in the soul of the Dyer's Wife: she is ashamed to follow the path of sin. The earth opens up and swallows the Empress, the Nurse, the Dyer and his wife. In vain do invisible voices in the underworld persuade the Empress to drink from the fountain of life, which will give her a shadow. The Empress hears the voices of the separated spouses and retreats without touching the Golden Fountain with her lips. The water recedes. The Emperor sits on the stone throne, motionless, petrified. And only in his gaze, it seems, is there still a glimmer of life. At the feet of the statue, the Fountain of Life begins to flow again. Voices are heard from above: “Say: I want – and the shadow of that woman will be yours, and he will immediately rise, and come to life, and go with you.” The Empress freezes in a terrible struggle with herself. A barely audible: “I do not want!” finally flies from her lips. She wins. She won for herself and for the sake of the one who, without her self-denial, would have remained a stone forever. Self-sacrifice makes the Empress human, she gains a shadow, and her husband comes to life. Happiness comes to Barak and his wife.

PERFORMERS:

The Emperor - Avgust Amonov

The Empress - Mlada Khudoley

The Nurse - Olga Savova

Barak, the Dyer - Edem Umerov

The Dyer's Wife - Olga Sergeeva

Children's voices, the Tsar's servants, other people's children, spirit servants, the voices of spirits, the voices of city guards - children's choir artists, choir artists, ballet and extras of the Mariinsky Theatre

Artistic Director and Conductor - Valery Gergiev

Stage Director - Jonathan Kent

Artist - Paul Brown

Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, 2010