Wolfgang Sawallisch - Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten, Op.65 (1988/2018) [Official Digital Download]

"The role that always suffers most is that of the Nurse, ostensibly because some of HofmannsthaI's most abstruse text is put into her mouth. It emerges here, in Hanna Schwarz's glorious performance, as one of Strauss's most memorable creations for the female voice, and if there were no other reasons (which there are) for hailing this EMI achievement, the Nurse would be enough.

This is a studio recording and has all the merits of the best of its kind. Balance is admirable, the off-stage voices are atmospherically recorded and the playing of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, which Sawallisch chose in preference to his own opera orchestra, is magnificent. One is convinced, after listening to these discs, that this is Strauss's grandest and most ambitious, if not his most consistent, score, and that the beauty and imaginative genius of the orchestration are unsurpassed in all his music. There is a Mahlerian sound-quality in the chamber-music textures and in the use of the celesta, glass harmonica and other exotic instruments.

[Barak] is sung extremely well by Alfred Muff, who is in turn genial, rough, tender, mystified and compassionate, a performance near to ideal vocally and dramatically.

Nor can any admirer of this opera fail to be entranced by Cheryl Studer's Empress. She is delightfully light and airy in the coloratura of her first entrance and gradually, as the drama deepens, gains in richness and passion—lovely singing and interpretation. René Kollo as the Emperor is, well, Kollo, which means some of it is good and some coarse and ill-considered, but where it matters most, in his two big arias, he comes up trumps.

Great care has been taken with the smaller roles, such fine singers as Marjana Lipovek, JanHendrick Rootering, Paul Frey (a better choice as Emperor?) and Julie Kaufmann contributing their artistry to the whole splendid enterprise. The highest honours, though, must go to Wolfgang Sawallisch himself, whose passionate devotion to Strauss in general and to this opera in particular results here in a notable milestone in the gramophone's operatic progress." (Gramophone)

Tracklist:

CD 1
1. Akt I: Licht überm See 05:29
2. Akt I: Amme, wachst Du? 04:41
3. Akt I: Fort mit Euch! 04:14
4. Akt I: Wie soll ich denn nicht weinen? 02:32
5. Akt I: Amme, um alles, wo find ich den Schatten? 05:13
6. Akt I: Erdenflug 01:47
7. Akt I: Dieb! Da nimm! 01:53
8. Akt I: Sie aus dem Hause, und das für immer! 08:05
9. Akt I: Dritthalb Jahr bin ich dein Weib 05:03
10. Akt I: Was wollt ihr hier? 06:19
11. Akt I: Ach Herrin, süße Herrin 03:14
12. Akt I: Hat es dich blutige Tränen gekostet 05:26
13. Akt I: Mutter, Mutter, lass uns nach Hause 01:59
14. Akt I: Trag ich die Ware selber zum Markt 02:33
15. Akt I: Ihr Gatten in den Häusern dieser Stadt 05:35

CD 2
1. Akt II: Komm bald wieder nach Haus, mein Gebieter! 03:22
2. Akt II: Was ist nun deine Rede 04:17
3. Akt II: Verwandlung 03:23
4. Akt II: Falke, du Wiedergefundener 09:42
5. Akt II: Es gibt derer, die haben immer Zeit 03:52
6. Akt II: Schlange, was habe dich mit dir zu schaffen? 08:17
7. Akt II: Wer da? - Ich, mein Gebieter, deine Dienerin! 02:51
8. Akt II: Sieh, Amme, sieh! 02:59
9. Akt II: Zum Lebenswasser! 02:28
10. Akt II: Wehe, mein Mann! 04:15
11. Akt II: Es dunkelt, dass ich nicht sehe 01:37
12. Akt II: Es gibt derer, die bleiben immer gelassen 02:46
13. Akt II: Das Weib ist irre! 01:46
14. Akt II: Barak, ich hab es nicht getan! 03:30

CD 3
1. Akt III: Schweigt doch, ihr Stimmen! 06:45
2. Akt III: Mir anvertraut 03:26
3. Akt III: Auf, geh nach oben, Mann 04:40
4. Akt III: Fort von hier! 05:31
5. Akt III: Aus unsren Taten steigt ein Gericht 02:52
6. Akt III: Was Menschen bedürfen 00:41
7. Akt III: Den Namen des Herrn? 02:02
8. Akt III: Weh uns Armen! 01:33
9. Akt III: Vater, bist du's? 04:03
10. Akt III: Goldener Trank, Wasser des Lebens 02:49
11. Akt III: Doch weich' ich nicht! 03:44
12. Akt III: Wenn das Herz aus Kristall 08:42
13. Akt III: Nun will ich jubeln 04:40

Personnel:
Cheryl Studer, soprano
Rene Kollo, tenor
Alfred Muff, baritone
Ute Vinzing, soprano
Hanna Schwarz, mezzo-soprano
Cyndia Sieden, soprano
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor

Digitally remastered