Die Frau ohne Schatten

Part poetic fairy tale, part meditation on family and marriage, Strauss and Hofmannsthal’s opera features one of the composer’s most ambitious and colorful scores. This broadcast was part of a run of performances that marked a breakthrough for soprano Christine Goerke, who delivers a blazing portrayal of the Dyer’s Wife. She is joined by an extraordinary cast that also includes Anne Schwanewilms in her Met debut as the Empress (the woman without a shadow of the title), Torsten Kerl as the Emperor, Johan Reuter as Barak, and Ildikó Komlósi as the Nurse. Vladimir Jurowski leads the vast musical forces.