This page lists all known recordings of Richard Strauss's opera Die Frau Ohne Schatten, the Woman without a Shadow. This complex opera is principally about marriage and love, but has elements of fantasy as well as reality woven together. The opera is difficult to stage and even harder to cast since it makes huge demands on the singers. Casting directors need a heldentenor who can sing the high tessitura of the Emperor with ease; two heldensoprani (the Empress and Barak's wife) though the latter is occasionally sung by a mezzo (for example Christa Ludwig); an alto who can also sing high notes and a lyric baritone. With such requirements we should be grateful for the numerous recordings that have a combination of singers able to perform the opera. Perhaps the strongest cast ever assembled was for the 1966 Met performances with James King and Leonie Rysanek as the Emperor and Empress, real-life couple Walter Berry and Christa Ludwig as Barak and his wife, and Irene Dalis as the nurse. Karl Bohm, who worked with Strauss, conducts.

(NB casts are given in this order: Emperor, Empress, Barak, Barak's wife, Nurse, /conductor).

November 23, 1943 Vienna Staatsoper Ralf, Konetzni, Herrmann, Schulz, Hongen /Bohm (extracts Act 1, 33 mins; Act 2, 25 mins; Act 3, 28 mins)

1950 Frankfurt ? Bensing, Kupper, Kronenberg, Schluter, Eustrati, /Zillig

June 11, 1953 Vienna Konzerthaus Svanholm, Steber, Kamann, Goltz, Hongan /Bohm (abridged concert version)

August 8. 1954 Munich Prinzregenten Theatre Hopf, Rysanek, Metternich, Schech, Benningsen /Kempe

September 11, 1954 Stuttgart Staatsoper Windgassen, Eipperle, Schirp, Kinasiewicz, Fisher /Leitner (some dropouts)

November 9, 1955 Vienna Staatsoper, Hopf, Rysanek, Weber, Goltz, Hongen /Bohm

November 29, 30, December 2, 7, & 10, 1955 Vienna (studio recording), Hopf, Rysanek, Schoffler, Goltz, Hongen /Bohm

September 24, 1960 San Francisco Parly, Rysanek, Schoffler, Schech, Dalis /Ludwig (extracts Act 1, 28 mins: Act 2, 44 mins; Act 3, 48 mins)

November 21, 1963 Nationaltheater Munich Thomas, Bjoner, Fisher-Dieskau, Borkh, Modl /Keilberth

May 1, 1964 Wiesbaden Staatstheater Liebl, Leber, Grabe, Synek, Modl /Wallberg

June 9, 1964 Berlin King, Hillebracht, Feldhoff, Kuchta, Hesse /Bohm

June 11, 1964 Vienna State Opera Thomas, Rysanek, Berry, Ludwig, Hoffman / Karajan

June 17, 1964 Vienna State Opera, Thomas, Janowitz, Wiener, Kutcha, Hoffman /Karajan

October 10, 1965 Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires Feiersinger, Bjoner, Yahia, Kuchta, Hoffman, /Leitner

October 25, 1966 Metropolitan Opera, New York, King, Bjoner, Berry, Ludwig, Dalis /Bohm (in house)

November 20, 1966 Metropolitan Opera, New York, King, Rysanek, Berry, Ludwig, Dalis /Bohm (in house)

December 17, 1966 Metropolitan Opera, New York, King, Rysanek, Berry, Ludwig, Dalis, /Bohm (broadcast)

June 17, 1967 Royal Opera House London, King, Hillebrecht, McIntrye, Borkh, Resnik / Solti (BBC broadcast in stereo, only mono seems to exist)

March 8, 1969 Metropolitan Opera, New York, King, Rysanek, Berry, Ludwig, Dalis, /Bohm (broadcast)

October 13, 1970, Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Kmentt, Bjoner, McIntyre, Mastilovic, Hoffman /Leitner

January 16, 1971 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Nagy, Rysanek, Berry, Ludwig, Dalis /Bohm (broadcast)

February 11, 1971 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Nagy, Rysanek, Berry, Borkh, Dalis /Bohm (in house)

February 17, 1971 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Nagy, Rysanek, Berry, Dunn, Borsh /Bohm (in house)

June 9, 1971 Nationaltheater Mannheim Cox, Tarres, Adam, Schreiner, Hesse, /Wallat (extracts)

1971 Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Ritzmann, Tarres, Svorc, Dvorakova, Kehl /Suitner

August 16, 1974 Salzburg Festival, King, Rysanek, Berry, Ludwig, Hesse /Bohm (broadcast in stereo)

July 26, 1975 Salzburg Festival, King, Rysanek, Berry, Schroder-Feinen, Hesse, /Bohm

December 13, 1975 Stockholm Kastu, Wennberg, Berry, Nilsson, Ericson /Klobucar

April 5, 1976 Royal Opera House, London, King, Harper, Berry, Dernesch, Hesse /Solti

October 3, 1976 Nationaltheater Munich, King, Bjoner, Fisher-Dieskau, Nilsson, Varnay /Sawallisch

October 15, 1976 War Memorial Opera House San Francisco, Kastu, Rysanek, Berry, Schroder-Feinen, Hesse /Bohm

March 27, 1977 Deutsche Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin, ? ? Svorc, Dvorakova, Zobel, /Woss (extracts)

May 15, 1977 Frankfurt, Cochran, Marton, Constantin, Mastilovic, Paustian /Dohnanyi

October 2, 1977 Hamburg State Opera Kollo, Marton, McIntyre, Nilsson Hesse /Dohnanyi

October 23 & 27, 1977 Vienna Staastoper, King, Rysanek, Berry, Nilsson, Hesse, /Bohm

1977 Dusseldorf, Katsu, Behrens, Feldoff, Schroder-Feinen, Kim /Wich

April 1, 1978 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, King, Rysanek, Berry, Schroder-Feinen, Dunn /Bohm (stereo broadcast)

1978 Stockholm Kastu, Wennberg, Jupither, Nilsson, Ericson /Klobucar

October 17, 1978 Badische Staatstheater, Karlsruhe, De Ridder, Hass, Raffell, Vinzing, Kim /Perick

October 14, 1979 Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires Thomas, Marton, Nimsegern, Nilsson, Hesse /Janowski

January 8, 1980 Hamburg Opera House King, Marton, Stewart, Nilsson, Hesse /Dohnanyi

March 16, 1980 Koln, Ilosfalvy, Wennberg, Berry, Jones, Dernesch /Pritchard

September 19, 22 or 25 1980, Palais Garnier, Paris Kollo, Behrens, Berry, Jones, Dunn /Dohnanyi

September 25, 1980, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, King, Rysanek, Feldoff, Nilsson, Hesse, /Klobucar (broadcast)

February 25, 1981 Berlin Brenneis, Rysanek, Feldhoff, Vinzing, Hesse, /Hollreiser

March 14, 1981, Dominion Theatre, London, Kastu, Evans, Bailey, Tinsley, Payne, /Armstrong (broadcast)

July 14, 1981 Munich King, Hass, Fischer-Dieskau, Bjoner, Dernesch /Sawallisch

October 12, 1981 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Brenneis, Marton, Nentwig, Nilsson, Dunn /Leinsdorf (in house)

October 23, 1981 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Brenneis, Marton, Nentwig, Nilsson, Dunn /Leinsdorf (house wire)

December 23, 1981 Munich Schunk, Gessendorf, Adam, Dernesch, Bjoner /Sawallisch

March 17, 1982 Koln, Ilsfalvy, Montgomery-Meissner, Berrry, Jones, Dernesch /Pritchard (in house)

December 26, 1983 Hamburg, Schunk, Rysanek, Nentwig, Jones, Dernesch /Dohnanyi

February 1, 1984 Karlsruhe Hoperwieser, Hass, Kiemer, Vinzing, Trekel-Burkhard /Perick

November 6, 1984 Vienna Staastoper King, Rysanek, Berry, Jones, Hesse, /Dohnanyi

November 19, 1984 Chicago Lyric Opera Jons, Marton, Nimsgern, Zschau, Dunn, /Janowski

March 6, 1985 La Scala Milan Johns, Marton, Muff, Zschau, Fassbaender /Sawallisch

November 24, 1985 Zurich Winkler, Jones, Feldhoff, Jones, Runkel /Weikert

May 11, 1986 Deutsche Oper Berlin, Brenneis, Hass, Feldhoff, Martin, Hesse /Hollreiser (in house)

May 1, 1987 Mannheim, Cox, Pick-Hieronimi, Raffel, Roberts, Michalowska /Wachter (in house)

June 30, 1987 Royal Opera House, London, Schunk, Falcon, Nimsgern, Jones, Dernesch /Dohnanyi

1987 Munich (studio) Kollo, Studer, Muff, Vinzing, Schwarz /Sawallisch

July 16, 1988 Nationaltheater, Munich Schunk, Studer, Muff, Bjoner, Dernesch /Sawallisch

December 9, 1989, Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Schunk, Meier, Courtney, Martin, Dernesch /Perick

December 10, 1989 War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco Johns, Johnson, Muff, Jones, Silja /Donhnanyi

1989 Vienna (studio) Domingo, Varady, Dam, Behrens, Runkel /Solti

June 9, 1990 Amsterdam, King, Marc, Grundheber, Meier, Runkel, /Waart

August 1992 Salzburg Festival Moser, Studer, Hale, Marton, Lipovsek /Solti (video)

November 8, 11, 1992 Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, Nagoya, Japan Seiffert, De Vol, Titus, Martin, Lipovsek /Sawallisch (video)

November 8, 1992 Geneva Moser, Shae, Schoene, Polaski, Runkel /Stein

November 28, 1992, Royal Opera House, London, Frey, Tomowa-Sintow, Grundheber, Jones, Henchel, /Haitink

January 2, 1994 Augsburg, Carter, Howell, Dean, Hardy, Morein /Luig (in house)

March 20, 1994 Paris, Moser, De Vol, Lafont, Hass, Silja /Dohnanyi

1995 Marseille Opera Hoffmann, Tomowa-Sintow, Lafont, Jones, Runkel, /Pleyer (video)

1996 Dresden Heppner, Voigt, Grundheber, Hass, Schwarz, /Sinopoli

February 1996 Amsterdam Moser, Shade, Brocheler, Schnaut, Henschel /Haenchen (video)

March 23, 1996 Turin, Lakes, Marc, Titus, Hass, Runkel, /Sinopoli

December 4, 1996 Dresden, Kruse, Voigt, Muff, Hass, Schwarz /Sinopli (in house extracts, Act 1 14 mins; Act 2 36 mins; Act 3 complete)

June 17, 1997 Grand Theatre Geneva, Sylvester, Huffstodt, Dam, Balslev, Denize, /Jordan

April 14, 1999 La Scala Milan, West, Nielsen, Titus, Vol, Runkel, /Sinopoli

December 11, 1999 Vienna Staatsoper Botha, Voigt, Struckmann, Schnaut, Lipovsek /Sinopoli

November 2000 Gran Teatro del Liceo, Barcelona Woodrow, Gierhardt, Schone, Marton, Schwarz /Schneider (video)

May 6, 2000 Vienna Staatsoper Heppner, Voigt, Struckmann, Schnaut, Henschel, /Sinopoli

June 17, 2001 Essen, Dowd, Gierhardt, Brendel, Behle, Szonyi /Soltesz

September 16, 2001 Dresden, Goldberg, Halgrimson, Grundheber, Owen, Schwarz /Albrecht (in house)

January 5, 2002 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Moser, Voigt, Brendel, Schnaut, Runkel /Thielemann (broadcast)

January 11, 2002 Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Murray, Patchell, Brendel, Schnaut, Schwarz /Thielemann (in house)

October 11, 2002 Megaron, Athens, Hamilton, Nielsen, Marton, Grundheber, Zschau /Schoenwandt (in house)

February 8, 2003 Frankfurt, O’Mara, Dussmann, Stensvold, Connell, Juon /Weigle (in house)

November 24, 2003 ? Murray, Voigt, Brendel, Polaski, Juon /Auguin

December 28, 2003 Deutsche Oper Berlin, Moser, Valayre, Schone, Schnaut, Henschel, /Thielemann

March 2, 2004 Los Angeles, Dean Smith, Nielsen, Brendel, Watson, Soffel /Nagano

Autumn 2004 Gothenburg Ketilsson, Bohman, Persson, Mellergaard, Tenstam /Henzold (broadcast)

January 23, 2005 Frankfurt Skelton, Dussmann, Stensvold, Connell, Juon /Weigle (in house)

February 17, 2005 Frankfurt Skelton, Dussmann, Stensvold, Connell, Juon /Weigle (in house)

June 11, 2005 Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels, Villars, Dussmann, Dam, Schnaut, Schuster, /Ono

October 6, 2006 Théâtre du Capitole à Toulouse Dean Smith, Merbeth, Schroeder, Baird, Soffel /Steinberg (broadcast)

February 21, 2007 Hamburg, Skelton, Gasteen, Magee, Schnaut, Sumegi /Young

November 30, 2007 Chicago Lyric Opera, Dean Smith, Voigt, Hawlata, Brewer, Martens /Davis (in house)

December 16, 2007 Chicago Lyric Opera, Dean Smith, Voigt, Hawlata, Brewer, Grove /Davis (broadcast)

September 20, 2008, Het Muziektheater Amsterdam, Vogt, Fontana, Stensvold, Herlitzius, Soffell, /Albrecht

December 19, 2009 Opernhaus Zurich, Sacca, Magee, Volle, Baird, Remmert, /Wesler-Most (in house)

April 29, 2010 Teatro Comunale di Firenze, Kerl, Pieczonka, Dohmen, Pankratova, Braun /Mehta