About the work
The Woman without a Shadow (German "Die Frau ohne Schatten") is an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, premiered in Vienna in 1919. It is regarded as the most ambitious, symbol-laden, and musically elaborate work of their collaboration—a fairy-tale mystery play about humanity, fertility, and compassion.
Plot
The Empress, daughter of the spirit king, casts no shadow—a symbol that she is barren and not fully human. If she does not soon cast a shadow, the Emperor will turn to stone. Accompanied by her demonic nurse, she descends into the human world and seeks to buy the shadow of the discontented wife of the poor dyer Barak. But faced with the suffering this would bring upon the dyer's family, the Empress decides at the crucial moment against selfishness—this compassionate act redeems them all and grants her her own shadow.
Cultural significance
The Woman without a Shadow is Strauss and Hofmannsthal's most symbolically dense work, rich in echoes of Mozart's Magic Flute and in psychological as well as mythical depth. The monumental orchestration and extremely demanding vocal parts make it one of the greatest challenges in the repertoire, which only large houses can mount. It is regarded as a summit of late-Romantic opera and celebrates humanity, compassion, and the creative power of love.