Hofmannsthal, Hugo von – MOSAEC

Shadow of a Childless Woman: The Mythic Roots of Strauss’s ‘Frau’

Classical Music Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Opera) Hofmannsthal, Hugo von Metropolitan Opera Myths and Mythical Creatures Opera Strauss, Richard

Shadow of a Childless Woman: The Mythic Roots of Strauss’s ‘Frau’

What’s behind the strange emphasis on childlessness in “Die Frau ohne Schatten,” the Strauss-Hofmannsthal opera now at the Met? Look to the ancients.

By Wendy Doniger

Strauss’s ‘Die Frau Ohne Schatten’ at the Metropolitan Opera

Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Opera) Hofmannsthal, Hugo von Lindstrom, Lise Metropolitan Opera Nezet-Seguin, Yannick Opera Stemme, Nina Strauss, Richard Thomas, Russell (Singer) van den Heever, Elza Volle, Michael

Strauss’s ‘Die Frau Ohne Schatten’ at the Metropolitan Opera

“Die Frau Ohne Schatten,” a dense ode to fertility, may not sound appealing at first. But in this performance, the fairy tale comes movingly to life.

By Zachary Woolfe