Richard Strauss, a composer, a conductor of exceptional talent, and one of the most prominent figures in the history of Western European music, composed not only impressive tone poems but also operas that are still considered masterpieces of musical theatre. One of them is Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow), born out of a long-standing and exceptionally fruitful collaboration with the writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal, with whom Strauss was also associated through works such as Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose), and Arabella.

After World War II, the composer adapted the opera into a Symphonic fantasy, into which, as he himself wrote, he incorporated “the best parts of Die Frau ohne Schatten.” By reducing the size of the orchestra and adapting the music for the concert hall, Strauss breathed new life into the opera, while preserving its dramatic tension, colourful orchestration, and compelling characters. The Symphonic fantasy allows listeners to enjoy one of the composer’s most mature stage works even without the opera’s action: the entire story is narrated here through  the sounds of the orchestra.