Die Frau ohne Schatten

It took 47 years for Richard Strauss’s Die Frau Ohne Schatten to make it to the Metropolitan Opera, but its October 2, 1966, company premiere in the new opera house turned out to be worth the wait. At the helm, the composer’s friend and eloquent advocate Karl Böhm conducted a definitive, virtuosic cast in this layered, allegorical fairy tale with the brilliant soprano Leonie Rysanek in the demanding title role. Mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig sang the Dyer’s Wife to perfection, and tenor James King established a benchmark in his singing of the Emperor. Bass-baritone Walter Berry made a successful Met debut as Barak the Dyer, and Irene Dalis sang the malevolent Nurse.