On Sunday I decide to drive to Mannheim to look around and maybe go to the opera. I have no trouble finding Mannheim (about 45 minutes) and the Hauptbahnhof in the center of town and park in the underground garage. I ride several different trams around the city taking pictures of Paradeplatz (the center of downtown), a beautiful new pedestrian bridge across the Necker River at Collini Center and Marktplatz, where I have a late lunch/early dinner at a very French outdoor café. I find the National Theater and Opera House and buy a fourth row center ticket (€46 or $65) for Frau ohne Shatten (The Woman without a Shadow) by Richard Strauss; another opera that I have never seen before. A woman without a shadow is one that cannot have children and this opera story is even more convoluted than most. The hall is huge with very steeply raked seats (stadium seating?) no center aisle, no balcony and almost sold out. This production is not modern, it’s ultra modern and the orchestra is big. The huge stage has an enormous turntable in the center, the middle of which is in about four pieces that go up and down and tilt independently, a stage director’s dream or nightmare. The music is wonderful, sometimes atonal and sometimes it reminds me of Rosenkavalier and the Strauss four last songs, my very favorite piece of music. The singing is fabulous with four main female singers; one in a long shimmering silver wig looks spectacular and has an even more spectacular voice. The libretto is by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and in this production, a character on stage. The program notes, dialogue and super-titles are all in German and do not help in my understanding of the story.
The story involves two married couples the Emperor and Empress and Barak, the dyer and his wife. The Empress who is not human: she was caught by the Emperor in the form of a gazelle; assumed human shape and he married her, but she has no shadow symbolizing her inability to bear children. The Empress has a nurse and a messenger arrives from the underworld telling the Nurse that if the Empress does not obtain a shadow within three days, she will be forcibly returned to the underworld and the Emperor will be turned to stone. The Emperor leaves to go on a three-day hunting trip seeking his favorite falcon. The Nurse, who is steeped in magic, suggests finding a woman who will sell her shadow. Now pay attention, because questions will be asked! Barak, the dyer lives in a hut with his wife and three brothers: one is one-eyed, one has only one arm and the third has no legs and gets around on a little wheeled thing. I am not making this up! The Empress and Nurse come to see Barak and his wife and promise her luxuries in exchange for her shadow. Barak’s wife agrees to deny her husband for three days during which the Empress and Nurse, in disguise, will live in the hut with them. The Empress, as a servant helps Barak leave for work and is troubled by what she’s doing. The Nurse conjures up a couple of handsome young men in order to tempt the wife. On stage the youths are in silver body-paint from the waist up and wearing moon-boots! The wife gives up her shadow and when, in the light of morning the dyer sees this, he moves to strike her with a sword that magically appears in his hand. Whereupon, the Empress and Nurse leave on a magic boat. In the last act the Wife, haunted by the voices of unborn children states her love for Barak, who regrets his violence. The Messenger from the underworld condemns the Nurse to wander the earth and the Empress finds her husband almost turned to stone. The dyer and his wife are heard singing off stage and the Empress decides she cannot take away their future happiness. This renunciation gives her a shadow and restores the Emperor to life. The opera ends with both couples singing of their happiness and their unborn children. Today, this opera is considered by many to be Strauss's finest work in the genre, although less frequently produced than some of the others
Photos:
Paradeplatz, Mannheim 3A#009
Pedestrian bridge, Mannheim 3A#017
Marktplatz, Mannheim 3A#020
Nationaltheater, Mannheim 3A#023
The story involves two married couples the Emperor and Empress and Barak, the dyer and his wife. The Empress who is not human: she was caught by the Emperor in the form of a gazelle; assumed human shape and he married her, but she has no shadow symbolizing her inability to bear children. The Empress has a nurse and a messenger arrives from the underworld telling the Nurse that if the Empress does not obtain a shadow within three days, she will be forcibly returned to the underworld and the Emperor will be turned to stone. The Emperor leaves to go on a three-day hunting trip seeking his favorite falcon. The Nurse, who is steeped in magic, suggests finding a woman who will sell her shadow. Now pay attention, because questions will be asked! Barak, the dyer lives in a hut with his wife and three brothers: one is one-eyed, one has only one arm and the third has no legs and gets around on a little wheeled thing. I am not making this up! The Empress and Nurse come to see Barak and his wife and promise her luxuries in exchange for her shadow. Barak’s wife agrees to deny her husband for three days during which the Empress and Nurse, in disguise, will live in the hut with them. The Empress, as a servant helps Barak leave for work and is troubled by what she’s doing. The Nurse conjures up a couple of handsome young men in order to tempt the wife. On stage the youths are in silver body-paint from the waist up and wearing moon-boots! The wife gives up her shadow and when, in the light of morning the dyer sees this, he moves to strike her with a sword that magically appears in his hand. Whereupon, the Empress and Nurse leave on a magic boat. In the last act the Wife, haunted by the voices of unborn children states her love for Barak, who regrets his violence. The Messenger from the underworld condemns the Nurse to wander the earth and the Empress finds her husband almost turned to stone. The dyer and his wife are heard singing off stage and the Empress decides she cannot take away their future happiness. This renunciation gives her a shadow and restores the Emperor to life. The opera ends with both couples singing of their happiness and their unborn children. Today, this opera is considered by many to be Strauss's finest work in the genre, although less frequently produced than some of the others
Photos:
Paradeplatz, Mannheim 3A#009
Pedestrian bridge, Mannheim 3A#017
Marktplatz, Mannheim 3A#020
Nationaltheater, Mannheim 3A#023
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