Presented in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Richard Strauss, San Francisco Opera’s 1976 production of Die Frau ohne Schatten - The Woman Without a Shadow - featuring soprano Leonie Rysanek and led by distinguished conductor and noted Strauss expert Karl Böhm, airs on Saturday, September 27, 1 to 4 pm on WRTI.
The historic performance, recorded live October 15, 1976 at the War Memorial Opera House, features a resplendent cast that includes Leonie Rysanek (the Empress); Matti Kastu (the Emperor); Walter Berry (Barak, the Dyer); Ursula Schröder-Feinen (Barak’s Wife); and Ruth Hesse (the Empress’s Nurse).
Maestro Karl Böhm leads the 91-piece San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in Strauss’ musically complex and mystical masterwork. The conductor's affinity for the works of Richard Strauss were long regarded as definitive interpretations; but he was particularly lauded around the world for championing Die Frau Ohne Schatten.
San Francisco Opera gave the United States premiere of Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1959.