Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere, 10 October 1919 (Franz Schalk) |
|---|---|---|
| The Emperor (Der Kaiser) | tenor | Karl Aagard Østvig |
| The Empress (Die Kaiserin), Keikobad's daughter | high dramatic soprano | Maria Jeritza |
| The Nurse (Die Amme), her guardian | dramatic mezzo-soprano or contralto |
Lucie Weidt |
| Barak, the Dyer (Barak, der Färber) | bass-baritone | Richard Mayr |
| The Dyer's Wife (Die Färberin) | high dramatic soprano | Lotte Lehmann |
| The One-eyed Man (Der Einäugige), Barak's brother | high bass | Viktor Madin |
| The One-Armed Man (Der Einarmige), Barak's brother | bass | Julius Betetto |
| The Hunchback (Der Bucklige), Barak's brother | high tenor | Anton Arnold |
| The Messenger of Keikobad | high baritone | Josef von Manowarda |
| The Voice of a Falcon | soprano | Felicie Hüni-Mihacsek |
| The Apparition of a Youth | high tenor | Elisabeth Schumann |
| The Guardian of the Threshold | soprano or countertenor |
Sybilla Blei |
| A Voice From Above | contralto | Maria Olczewska |
| Voices of Six Unborn Children (Sechs Kinderstimmen) | three sopranos, three baritones | |
| Voices of Three Town Watchmen (Stimmen Der Wächter Der Stadt) | baritones | |
| Servants of the Empress, other children and beggar-children, spirit-servants and spirit-voices | ||
The role of the Empress calls for a dramatic soprano who is also capable of extended coloratura passages containing trills, runs, and a high D (and that's just her first solo in Act One). Similarly, any tenor attempting the Emperor must be able to handle numerous passages in his uppermost range, particularly his extended solo scene in Act Two. The Nurse role sits mostly in the contralto range, but makes frequent leaps above the staff. The Dyer's Wife also calls for a soprano with immense sound to be heard over heavily orchestrated passages. The Dyer is the most approachable of the leading vocal parts, but again the orchestration is very heavy and requires a baritone with sufficient stamina to last the opera's three hours and fifteen minutes.
Read more about this topic: Die Frau Ohne Schatten
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