The Woman Without a Shadow

About

This three-act opera by Richard Strauss, libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, premiered in Vienna on October 19, 1919. It is often considered as one of Strauss' best works, even though it wasn't well-received during its debut, in the early 20th Century. The story is a fantastical one, centered around an emperor and empress, the latter of which is the daughter of Keikobad, King of the Spirit Realm. She has no shadow, which denotes her inability to bear children. The Spirit King has decreed that unless his daughter gains her shadow, she will return to her father and the emperor shall be turned to stone.