Richard Strauss's librettist for Die schweigsame Frau, Stefan Zweig, was Jewish, which led to political difficulties with the Nazi regime.
Performer Biography
The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra) has been internationally renowned since its founding in 1949 and has been ranked among the top orchestras in the world.
Composition History
Richard Strauss's opera Die schweigsame Frau was based on Ben Jonson's 1609 English comedy Epicoene, or The Silent Woman.
Notable Performances
The premiere of Die schweigsame Frau on June 24, 1935, in Dresden was attended by neither Hitler nor Goebbels, likely due to Stefan Zweig's Jewish heritage, and the piece was removed after only three performances.
Historical Context
The opera Die schweigsame Frau was created between 1932 and 1935, a period spanning the end of the Weimar Republic and the establishment of the Nazi regime.
Performer Biography
The cast includes renowned singers such as Hans Hotter as Sir Morosus, Fritz Wunderlich as Henry, Ingeborg Hallstein as Aminta, and Hermann Prey as the Barber.
Recording & Production
This 1960 studio recording of excerpts from Die schweigsame Frau was made to avoid the audible stage noise present in a 1959 live recording from the Salzburg Festival.
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