Die Frau ohne Schatten
also The Woman without a Shadow
opera
Composer Richard Strauss
Librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Synopsis
The Empress, born half spirit, casts no shadow and has borne the Emperor no child; her father Keikobad will turn him to stone unless she gains one within three days. Her Nurse sets out to buy a shadow from a mortal woman, the dyer Barak's wife, discontented in her own marriage.
Key facts
- Premiere
- 10 October 1919, Operntheater, Vienna
- Acts
- 3
- Language
- German (de)
- Setting
- The mythical empire of the South Eastern Islands, in a fairy-tale past.
Notes
The only version. The libretto is an original fairy tale by Hofmannsthal, written alongside the opera itself over several years.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Der Kaiser The Emperor. | tenor (heldentenor) | Karl Aagaard Østvig |
| Die Kaiserin The Emperor's wife. | soprano (dramatic, coloratura) | Maria Jeritza |
| Die Amme The Empress's nurse. | mezzo-soprano (dramatic) | Lucie Weidt |
| Der Geisterbote The Messenger of Keikobad. | baritone | Josef von Manowarda |
| Ein Hüter der Schwelle des Tempels Guardian of Keikobad's temple threshold. | soprano | Sibylla Blei |
| Erscheinung eines Jünglings An apparition conjured to tempt Barak's wife. | tenor | — |
| Die Stimme des Falken The Emperor's falcon. | soprano | Felicie Hüni-Mihacsek |
| Eine Stimme von oben A voice from above. | contralto | Maria Olszewska |
| Barak A dyer. | bass-baritone | Richard Mayr |
| Sein Weib Barak's wife. | soprano (dramatic) | Lotte Lehmann |
| Der Einäugige One of Barak's brothers. | bass | Viktor Madin |
| Der Einarmige One of Barak's brothers. | bass | Julij Betetto |
| Der Bucklige One of Barak's brothers. | tenor | Anton Arnold |
Source
Original libretto.
Written from
- Osborne, C. (1988) The Complete Operas of Richard Strauss: A Critical Guide. London: Michael O'Mara Books, pp. 108-123.
- Strauss, R. (1919) Die Frau ohne Schatten, Op. 65. Berlin: Adolph Fürstner. (Accessed: August 2026).
- opera-guide.ch (2026) Die Frau ohne Schatten: Synopsis. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Die Frau ohne Schatten. (Accessed: August 2026).