Although unquestionably a masterpiece, Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten has long remained on the fringes of the standard repertoire, not least because of the sheer scale of its orchestration, which demands voices of comparable magnitude. Too often, singers falter under the strain, sacrificing tonal beauty for sheer vocal force. This performance is therefore all the more remarkable for the delicacy and musicality each principal brings to their role, qualities supported in no small part by Herbert von Karajan’s attentive and finely gauged conducting.

As the Kaiserin, Leonie Rysanek—a last-minute substitution for Gundula Janowitz, who rightly judged the role too taxing for her lyric voice—is simply sovereign. Her Act I entrance shimmers with ethereal lightness, while in the later acts she meets the emotional and vocal demands with searing intensity. It is difficult to imagine a more complete exponent of this challenging role. Christa Ludwig, as the Färberin, charts the part’s arduous path with poised textual nuance and refined phrasing, navigating the high tessitura with seemingly effortless control. Walter Berry brings a grounded, almost austere dignity to Barak, capturing both the character’s weary resilience and his innate tenderness. In the role of the Kaiser, Jess Thomas contributes a performance of notable distinction, his clarion upper register balanced by a lyrical elegance of phrasing.