La discográfica Orfeo International ha lanzado una nueva grabación de “La Mujer sin Sombra” de Richard Strauss.
https://www.amazon.com/Frau-Ohne-Schatten-Stephen-Gould/dp/B084QLBMR9Emperor - Stephen Gould
Empress - Camilla Nylund
Nurse - Evelyn Herlitzius
Spirit Messenger - Sebastian Holecek
Barak - Wolfgang Koch
Barak’s Wife - Nina Stemme
Chorus & Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
Christian Thielemann
Cito crítica (en Inglés):
“I am enjoying this live set more and more the more I listen to it. It is somehow different from what I am used to but I think the results are mostly satisfactory. Thielemann sets the tone for what’s to come very early on, in the opening bars, which are played in rather subdued manner. This comes as something of a shock, paradoxically. But if Thielemann hasn’t lost you this early on and you stick with him he will guide you through an estimable reading of the score. I suspect that his chamber-like treatment of his orchestral forces had to do with avoiding drowning out his singers. Thielemann does not reach for dynamic peaks and depths but instead chooses to remain firmly in the valley. That the orchestra can pleasantly go along for the ride is all the more remarkable. Make no mistake, this is no longer your grandparents or your parents or even your younger self’s Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera (aka Vienna Philharmonic) for I detected little to nothing of the fabled Vienna sound. [I revisited the old Karl Böhm set for DG, also taped live at the State Opera (1977), to hear again the amazing colors and sounds Böhm could draw out of this orchestra. As I said, little of that is present here but it is what it is.]. What we hear, rather, is another international-postmodern band. Well, almost, because very few bands can play with such finesse and precision (yes, they can also play erratically during seasonal repertory revivals). Still, one of the most rewarding aspects of this set is to hear the disciplined playing of the orchestra for Thielemann, and their capacity to stay with him end to end without as much as a hair out of place (arguably to a fault). And Thielemann’s control of his forces is superhuman. He knows what he wants without once losing focus as he threads through the score. It is really something to behold. Now on to the singers. Kudos to Evelyn Herlitzius for her Nurse and to Nina Stemme for her Dyer’s Wife, both highly demanding dramatic roles. Both sail through their parts with little apparent effort and endless stamina. This is the best and most convincing anything I have heard from Nina Stemme to date, even with a voice past its prime (which is not saying much given that I never heard a prime from her) or the fact that she can’t command the heights that even late Nilsson could. The Nurse was written for dramatic mezzo so it is interesting to hear Herlitzius, a soprano, in the role. But she does very well by it. I did miss the deeper tones others have brought to the part and in her scenes with the Empress of soprano Camilla Nylund it is difficult to distinguish between the two, as neither owns anything remotely to a signature sound of their own. The lack of distinction becomes readily apparent in relation to, for example, Schwarz/Studer, Lipovšek/Studer, Höngen/Rysanek, Hesse/Rysanek and so forth. Nylund will not erase deep-seated memories of earlier generation Empresses but she is very musical and, at least in a house the size of Vienna’s, gets through the part with some distinction, if no abandon, a quality not in her toolbox. She also lacks a sufficiently ample upper-range extension and radiance that only the most distinguished and interesting Empresses have had. But she grows from her limitations and impresses most in the final act which showcases her most beautiful, powerful and moving singing of the night. With the exception of Stephen Gould as the Emperor, the weak link here, the other men fare just as well. No complaints for Wolfgang Koch as Barak or Sebastian Holecek as the Spirit Messenger. Both acquit themselves wonderfully. I found Stephen Gould the most disappointing member of the cast, lacking the glow and inspiration in the voice to make the most of some of the sublime music Strauss wrote for the role. All in all, this one is a keeper even if it won’t replace your favorite FroSch. But at least it stands as a testament not only to Thielemann’s prowess but to how, with someone like him at the helm, this complex work can sustain a different approach, less grand and less bombastic than the norm but equally valid. Just don’t try it at home.”