DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN

This summer, the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence presents one of Richard Strauss’ most ambitious operas: Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow) premiered in 1919. After Salome staged by Andrea Breth in 2022, and Elektra, in Patrice Chéreau’s production in 2013, the 2026 production of Die Frau ohne Schatten promises to be a major event: the young Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä will be making his debut in the orchestra pit with the Orchestre de Paris accompanied by an outstanding cast of singers to take on this demanding score: Nina Stemme, Tamara Wilson and Michael Spyres among them; with Barrie Kosky staging the production, bringing to the opera stage a profoundly humanistic vision of this masterpiece, often regarded as Strauss’ last Romantic opera. From the emergence of Strauss’ neo-classical works in the Festival’s programming in the 1960s to the presentation of his most modern operas since the 2010s, the Festival has maintained a long-standing relationship with the work of Richard Strauss, reaffirming its vocation to bring the most ambitious scores of the operatic repertoire to the theatre.

The renowned baritenor Michael Spyres captivates audiences with his voice, capable of producing remarkable bass notes for a tenor and reaching the high register of a baritone. On our media partner France Musique, he reflects on his personal and artistic journey in the series Les Grands Entretiens (“Great Interviews”), hosted by Judith Chaine — a programme we invite you to discover.

In Stars du Classique on France Musique, Aurélie Moreau traces the meteoric rise of this young conductor — now regarded as one of the best of his generation — through the works of Sibelius, Shostakovich, Debussy, Stravinsky, Mahler, Berlioz and Ravel, which he conducts.

Only his hands can be seen above the orchestra pit: despite his imposing stature, the conductor Klaus Mäkelä is almost invisible to those seated in the auditorium of the Grand Théâtre de Provence, which has been plunged into darkness for several minutes in anticipation of the start of the rehearsal. With a decisive gesture, the passionate Finn launches the opening chord of Strauss’ The Woman without a Shadow. At the piano, Rupert Dussmann then lets rip with the triple opening motif like a thunderclap, sombre and mysterious. But almost immediately, stage director Barrie Kosky, positioned with his entire team in the centre of the auditorium, calls out to Klaus Mäkelä with a touch of humour: the conductor had not waited for the director’s cue, which was intended to allow for a longer, more intense silence before the music began. Klaus Mäkelä’s hands make a brief apologetic gesture, prompting a few laughs, before Barrie Kosky continues speaking. “Applause, applause, applause… silence!” He is envisaging the applause that will greet the beginning of the performances before gradually fading away. A striking silence then ensues, which the opening notes forcefully slice through. With a stage director so thoroughly attuned to the subtleties of opera, the silences form part of the rehearsal process. [...]