Elza van den Heever returns to the MET as the Empress in "The Woman Without a Shadow"
Elza van den Heever returns to the Metropolitan Opera to once again present her acclaimed interpretation of the Empress in Richard Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten . She has previously sung this role at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, among other prestigious venues. Bachtrack praised her performance last season at the Vienna State Opera:
"As the Empress, Elza van den Heever had little difficulty with conveying the celestial being's initial naïveté, subsequent bewilderment and, finally, wisdom, all with her clear, penetrating tone. Her voice's evenness throughout the registers was a delight, while her outburst of Singspiel in Act 3 was thrilling and moving."
Herbert Wernicke's production of Die Frau ohne Schatten reinterprets Strauss's monumental opera, relying on a bold, abstract visual aesthetic that emphasizes the work's psychological and symbolic depth. Using reflective surfaces, striking lighting, and minimalist geometric designs, Wernicke creates a dreamlike world that focuses on the themes of transformation and redemption.
Elza van den Heever is accompanied by a top-class cast: Russell Thomas as the Emperor, Michael Volle as the dyer Barak, Lise Lindstrom as the dyer's wife, Nina Stemme as the nurse, and Ryan Speedo Green as Keikobad's messenger. The Met's Music Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will conduct.