Review (PDF) Die Frau Ohne Schatten In Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow) is widely regarded as Richard Strauss's finest score. This enchanting opera stars a pair of childless couples plus a supporting cast of spirits, secret messengers, and disembodied voices in a dreamlike landscape. The opera, which premiered in 1919, features a libretto based on an original story by Strauss's frequent collaborator, Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Its fairy-tale allegory evokes the world of Mozart's The Magic Flute, brought to vibrant life with the composer's spectacular, lush orchestral score — the most fantastically intricate work in the long career of this master orchestrator.
Series: Dover Music Scores
Paperback: 672 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications (January 14, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0486439208
ISBN-13: 978-0486439204
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 1.3 x 12.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,882,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #35 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Strauss, Richard #646 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Historical Period > Late Romantic #3351 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Musical Genres > Opera > Songbooks
This score is indispensable if you have any sort of interest in what is arguably the most problematic opera in the Strauss canon. Like many other enthusiasts for the Bavarian composer's operas, I have always struggled to come to grips with the structure of his longest opera and to maintain my interest throughout its long and occasionally tortuous span. Whilst having the opportunity to follow it from the score has not yet quite convinced me that it is in the same league as some of his earlier stage works, this edition is invaluable in revealing the fertility of his musical invention and his genius as an orchestrator; the chance to see how he realises some of his most dramatic instrumental effects is enough of a reason to buy this score, and seeing the interaction and development of the various leitmotifs on the page certainly makes the score seem more unified and cohesive than I had previously appreciated.As ever with Dover, the print quality is excellent and the binding sturdy, but this edition's strongest suit is the legible print size and very reasonable price.
I guess I shouldn't be writing a review because I know what Dover full-scores are like, and I know the opera; and both are marvellous. I just love the idea of ordering something you've wanted all your life in about two and a half minutes flat; and getting it by courier, in mint condition, barely two weeks later. As easy as buying a bottle of milk.
The size of the score is perhaps the only merit of this item. I've compared this edition to the Furstner/Boosey edition, and discovered several markings and articulations missing from this edition - there's even a passage where an entire bass-clarinet line is not written. The fact that this edition is a reprint of the very first publication naturally means that it does not contain any of the revisions or corrections added in later publications. The serious musician ought to be careful in purchasing this product.
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