Customer Reviews

R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nilsson's voice sounds absolutely ravishing in this performance. Nilsson is a high dramatic soprano and in this recording, the part of the Dyer's wife lies in the very best part of her voice - the upper register. Her exciting and thrilling interpretation is all that one can ask for. Rounding up the cast is the Bohm "Frosch" team - Rysanek incomparable as the Empress, King the greatest Emperor of his time (who still has no successor), Berry the most heart warming Barak ever and Hesse the malevolent Nurse. Plus the incandescent conducting of Karl Bohm and the virtuoistic playing of the Vienna Philharmonic who has played the score more than anyone else.

Highly recommended.

The dream cast of Die Frau Schatten in the late 1970's recorded in superb stereo!! The Dyer's Wife was the last role that Birgit Nilsson added to her repertoire - that was in 1975. I suppose that Karl Bohm asked her to sing the Dyer's Wife because Christa Ludwig decided to give up the role aftr the Salzburg performance in 1974. This is a live performance from the Vienna State Opera. The electricity of the occasion comes across consistently throughout the recording. What a Dyer's Wife we have in Birgit Nilsson!! Her bright and powerful voice is electrifying! Birgit Nilsson proves that she is one of the greatest dramatic sopranos of all time. In the Ring, her voice is heroic and metallic like what a warrior should sound like. Here, she imbues her voice with an elasticity and warmth which is not heard in her Brunnhilde. If you like Birgit Nilsson, you must get this recording. For the remainder of the cast, we have Bohm's peerless "Frau" team - the team that he trained specially for Die Frau Ohne Schatten. Leonie Rysanek is the Empress, thrillingly intense above the stave. She is glorious in the role, a role she owned for over 20 years!! James King, the most sought after Emperor in the world at the time, is the Emperor. Walter Berry is in top form as Barak. Ruth Hesse negotiates the difficult role of the Nurse with consummate artistry. And of course, we have Karl Bohm himself, the most ardent advocate of Richard Strauss' operas. The reason that Strauss' works are in the standard reportoire today is largely because of the advocacy of Karl Bohm.

Yes, the dream cast of the late 1970's of Die Frau Ohne Schatten. I only wish that Karajan's 1964 Die Frau with Christa Ludwig had been done in stereo as well or Karl Bohm's Die Frau with Christa Ludwig in 1974 at the Salzburg Festival. If you want to hear Birgit Nilsson in even more electrifying form, get the 'live' 1976 Die Frau Ohne Schatten conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch in 1976 at Munich on Golden Melodram. There Birgit Nilsson is in even bettrer vocal form, her outbursts hitting you like a ton of bricks. James King is also even more thrilling in the 1976 Die Frau Ohne Schatten. I find it impossible to choose. I have to have both. But the sound here is better so I suppose that this should be the first recommendation. But seriously, the 1976 has its own unique electricity that makes it worthwhile owning both.

Various great opera singers have "owned" great roles over the years, but almost none have quite the way Leonie Rysanek owned the Empress. DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN sounds difficult and abstruse if you describe the opera's plot to someone, but Rysanek and James King make the Emperor and Empress so deeply felt that they quickly reveal this as one of the most oddly moving operas ever written. At the opera's great climax, Rysanek gives full vent to the Empress's humanity at her famous "Ich will nicht!"--which she utters as if her heart were utterly breaking--that she fully justifies the glorious transformation in the music that announces her and her husband's salvation. And Nilsson was a great Dyer's Wife--her laserlike intensity, so terrifying in roles like Salomé and Elektra, is here used to great effect for her character's dislikability but also her fundamental decency and depth of character. Böhm was the ideal conductor for this cast--no one can humanize Strauss (or Wagner, for that matter) quite the way he could.

For someone like myself who has heard every note Nilsson sang on recordings, this CD of Die Frau is beyond description. Nilsson always posed a challenge to sound engineers. It was always difficult to hear her true beauty on recordings. When this CD came out, I was smilling when she began to sing. This is exactly how she sounded in San Francisco on September 30, 1980 when I heard her perform this role.
I had another opportunity to see and hear her. The place was Wilmington, Delaware. The date was April 13, 1988. She was at the Wilmington Opera House to conduct a master class. Many of her students were from the Academy of the Vocal Arts and The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. In all honesty, I learned more about Nilsson on this day than I did In 1980.
At the end of the program, she invited people to ask her some questions. One of the most notable ones was the one about her most difficult singing role. She said that all of them posed their own challenges. But the man was persistent. I was seated in the front row and I thought I could offer her some help. I said softly," Die Frau?" She looked at me, and then looked at the audience with somewhat vacant and inward searching eyes and replied, "Yes. I would have to say Die Frau Ohne Schatten. When I first learned it, it was so difficult to learn on the piano. The range of octaves and the tempi were very confusing. But when I began rehearsals with the orchestra, everything fell into place."
In short, if you have heard other renditions of Die Frau Ohne Schatten and were disapointed with the sound or the bizzare plot, don't worry. Buy this recording as fast as you can before it vanishes.

It was the year 1977, the dream cast of Die Frau Ohne Schatten assembled once again at the Vienna State Opera to give an earth shattering performance of Die Fau Ohne Schatten. Thankfully for the opera loving public, this event was caught 'live' in the heat of the performance. Birgit Nilsson gives a thrilling account of the Dyer's Wife. Rysanek's soprano soars beautifully in the incredibly high part of the Empress. Walter Berry is Barak incarnate. James King is the Emperor without peer. And Ruth Hesse is the Nurse. Whew!!

Before I get into my review, I need to speak up about something and set the record straight once and for all.
The one-star "review", if one can stretch credulity to call it a review, is based on the premise that since all the singers in the lead roles were.......'in retirement'.......the recording therefore is worth no more than a one-star rating.
"In retirement".
"In retirement"??
Point A. As all of these singers were still vigourously performing and singing at an exceptionally high level of vocal prowess (as they had been throughout their careers), to refer to the cast as being "in retirement" is ludicrous at best, and a complete non-issue, unworthy of a moment of consideration.
Moving on to Point B.
Not only were these incredible performers still providing legendary vocalizing that is the envy of singers half their age, they continued to sing for some time afterwards. Who could forget the wonderful memory of Birgit Nilsson, when she finally WAS in retirement, singing in tribute to "Jimmy" Levine, with the famous Brunnhilde battle cry, still intact, that brought the house down??!!
YOU GO GIRL!!
Certainly, the voice on this recording is not a youthful sounding one, but Birgit had the vocal goods, the resources to extend them through the entire opera, and the psychological insight culled from years of Strauss, and simply living life, to bring her final, and if I may say, one of her greatest roles, to fruition.
Name another singer who had the guts and the voice to add a new role of this magnitude to their repertoire at the age of 59........and triumph in it.
Go on, name one.
I didn't think so.
Let's dismiss the children to the playground while the grownups discuss something of substance.
Bohm indeed assembled, or perhaps I should say, re-assembled, his 'dream team' with one exception: Christa Ludwig. I have two other recordings in which she sings The Dyer's Wife. Much as I love Ludwig and her peerless interpretations of certain 'helden-soprano' roles such as Leonore (Fidelio) and the Dyer's Wife......she IS a mezzo-soprano. The recording studio was generous to her as Leonore; as the Dyer's wife, there is some inevitable shrillness in the voice, which happens to a lot of mezzos who move into dramatic soprano territory. Hearing how wonderfully her voice moves through roles such as Kundry & Venus, I'm relieved that she chose to forego this particular role, and that Birgit Nilsson was able to take it on.
Leonie Rysanek, what can I say? The greatest Empress I've heard, and it suits her perfectly. She brought such insight and humanity to the role; I know others have sung it, and some very well indeed, but I simply can't hear anyone else in it, knowing what Rysanek does with it. James King, also, was for my money the best Emperor, and he too brings dignity and humanity to so many of his characters. Walter Berry is so reliable and has done so many recordings, that in a way, it's sort of easy to overlook him. He, no less than the others, shines in his interpretation of The Dyer, and I believe this is my favourite role of his.
Ruth Hesse as Die Amme!!! Holy Moley!! You do NOT want to get on this woman's bad side! ;)
One reviewer commented that he'd seen Ruth Hesse perform it live; the moment where she groans as she realizes all is lost is absolutely chilling on the disc; as he described it live.......it surely ranks as one of the great moments of opera history!
Bohm's conducting is beyond fault for me personally on this disc. Being a singer myself, I tend to pay more attention to the vocalizing than the conducting, but he knew Strauss and his conducting better than just about anyone else, so whatever quibbles there might be about cuts here and there don't really enter into the equation for me.
Finally, of course, Birgit. :)
One little personal connection I have with this wonderful lady is that we both share the same birthday (May 17). Here, once again, Birgit proves herself heroically and fearlessly, giving her all, and I do mean, her ALL as the Dyer's Wife.
This is my favourite recording of "Die Frau", and one of the treasures in my opera collection.
It merits nothing less than 5 well-deserved stars, and is a testament to the enduring spirit and virtuousity of singers and conductor alike, who joined together to create a "Frau" that truly has no shadow, for no singer of today has both the technique and the inner flame to raise and elevate the spirit of this masterpiece.
It's been a privilege to speak truthfully about this great recording, and to set the record straight, and I know for a certainty that I'm not the only one who shares that affinity. :)
~Marguerite L. Morris~

The famous Karl Bohm performances caught in stereo at last!!! It was caught a little late but still outstanding. Even today, it is very difficult ifnot impossible to surpass this!!

In a word, Birgit Nilsson ;^)

Leonie Rysanek owned the role of the Empress and has several recordings to survey. But Nilsson had recently added the Dyer's wife to her repertoire when this performance was recorded. Anyone who loves that steely brilliant voice and spot on attack will not be disappointed - and she was nearly 60!. She brings a novel, authoritative quality to the character of the Dyer's cold wife, and this provides a very good contrast as her character changes by the end of the opera. By comparison, Hildegard Behrens, in Solti's wonderful recording, gives us a more vulnerable, defensive Dyer's wife. Both are very expressive, effective and valid interpretations. Nilsson's is more exciting to my ears. I simply love anything she does. One thing must be mentioned - Nilsson's stamina. Some of the biggest challenges comes at the end of 3 hours of music. As she must have done in her Wagner performances, Nilsson knows when to reserve herself along the way, and when to pull out the stops. By the end, when the orchestra is at full afterburner, and all the other singers are singing at full force, you hear her soaring above them all... all except Rysanek who soars as well, and who displays her tendency to hold her high notes just a little bit longer than is written.

Others have commented on James King as a peerless Emperor. I have always loved the physical sound of his voice; strong and heroic. He definitely is all that on this recording, and he is more comfortably expressive than earlier in his career - even if the unforgiving music causes him to strain in 1 or 2 spots. Nonetheless, he could have a certain sameness throughout the course of an opera. But Placido Domingo, in the Solti recording, has far greater expressive and vocal ranges, even though he was into his 50s too. He is thrilling and moving to listen to. A balm to the ears. Effortless, magical.

Walter Berry is a movingly sensitive Barak, heartbreaking at times in his expressive reactions to his wife and his situation. But it is hard to choose between Berry and Jose van Dam (on Solti's recording). Van Dam is also a very warm and expressive Dyer; he is another a major star and a complete artist. I love both interpretations.

Much has been made elsewhere of Karl Bohm's special affinity for Strauss - and his habit of making cuts. His cuts are annoying, particularly since a recorded performance is a permanent record. Yet, Bohm is a master of this score. I have his recording dating from the 50s (also with Rysanek but an otherwise inferior cast). His interpretation changed little over the years, but he is more committed, more "into it" in this live performance. Solti's performance is likewise masterful and very exciting. He is aided by modern technology so we hear everything at any dynamic and the score is essentially complete - no cuts. There are moments of very great excitement and electricity. There is little to choose between these two great Straussians.

One reviewer commented on the fact that the singers were past their prime. Comparing Behrens side by side with Nilsson I cannot agree. Behrens was in her 50s when she performed on the Decca/Solti recording, and Nilsson was nearly 60 in this live performance; Rysanek was in her 50s. All singers sound very good. The same can be said for James King and Walter Berry. Both sound in excellent voice. And even by the end of the evening, amazingly none of the singers sound tired.

So. Where does all this leave us? Solti has a great cast, modern sound, and provides a charged, exciting, and sympathetic interpretation of the complete score. Bohm also delivers the goods with an exciting and nuanced interpretation, with some cuts; he has a great, some would say historic cast who are inspired in live performance. Bohm has Nilsson. Solti has Domingo.

The choice is obvious.

I own both and so should you!

When I was thirteen years old,in 1976, the San Francisco Opera announced the return to the repertory of Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten, to be performed in the fall season. I wasn't familiar with the work, but I was a big Karl Bohm fan (I collected his Mozart opera recordings) and as it had been announced that he would be conducting the run of performances, I knew that I had to see one of the evenings. I convinced my parents to get Sunday-matinee tickets for my brother and I, and we went. Needless to say, my life was changed forever. Rysanek, Berry, Hesse, Matti Kastu (as the Emperor) and Ursula Schroeder-Feinen (as the Dyer's Wife) inhabited their roles completely and fearlessly, and sang like deities. But it was Bohm who was the true hero of the day. A personal friend of Strauss, he had championed this opera for several decades, and was primarily responsible for its entry into the international repertoire. His love for the opera shone through every bar. No-one else has captured the prayerful aspect of the Barak's Goodness orchestral interlude in Act I, right down to the repeated "amen"s in the lower strings at the end of the passage. Who else whips the orchestra into such a frenzy as Empress and Nurse soar through the air from heaven to earth, making the thickening of the smog and feel of the dust almost palpable as they descend. And who else has caught the magical serenity of the closing bars of the opera so surely, yet played them so lightly with such a gossamer touch? Solti and Sawallisch, for all their expertise (and the highly touted "note-complete" performances they conduct) remain earthbound and dully prosaic next to Bohm. "Unidiomatic" is the kindest word I can come up with to describe their approaches. Listening to their recordings is rather like listening to a provincial foreign actor play King Lear with a heavy accent; with Bohm, we're in Olivier territory. And this 1977 taping from the ORF (Austrian Radio) does not disappoint. The Vienna Philharmonic is a vast improvement over the mid-1970's San Francisco Opera orchestra, and James King is far preferable to Kastu, a Finnish heldentenor who never made much headway in the States. I will go out on a limb and say I regret that Schroeder-Feinen was not cast in the Vienna performance. Her voice was youthful yet large, with a lyric quality that by 1977 was sadly absent from Nilsson's portrayal. This is a minor quibble, though. This recording really is an essential performance; even with cuts it blows Solti and Sawallisch out of the water. I must just relate an interesting bit of stage business. When the Messenger banished the evil Nurse to the world of men in Act III, Ruth Hesse let out a groan to shake the rafters (you can hear it on this recording), threw her arms into the air and fell backwards into the boat, which then floated offstage with the Nurse clutching desperately to the mast and looking wildly about like a cornered beast. That was theatre!

I was lucky enough to have been at the Met for the first performance of Die Frau Ohne Schatten back in the mid 60s. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The cast of the principals was Rysanek, Ludwig, King, Berry, and Dalis with Boehm conducting. Since then, I have heard countless performances of the opera, live and as recordings. In a lifetime of going to the opera, for sheer sound, the two greatest voices I heard live were Nilsson and Sutherland. Rysanek was one the most exciting singers, vocally and dramatically I ever heard and she literally owns the Empress. For richness and prodigal tone I have personally never heard a Barak better than Berry. He is Barak. In his time King was criticized for being slightly wooden in sound but he was and remains for the time being the ideal Kaiser. Ludwig, a great artist in so many roles, was a wonderful and exciting Dyer's wife, but simply put, she did not have Birgit Nilsson's incredible soprano voice. Hesse is one of the finest Nurses I have heard. Boehm was the last direct link with Strauss and he pushed to make the first recording of Die Frau with the VPO in the mid 50s. So, what this recording offers is an invaluable historical document of the highest importance: Strauss' greatest opera, the extraordinary VPO and the surpassing Straussian Boehm in top form, the greatest singers in their respective roles including Nilsson, in her last role and still at 60 one of the century's most phenomenal voices, and in addition a live performace in excellent sound. All this considered, I would rank this recording one of the greats of the 20th century.