From June 4th to 28th Camilla Nylund returned to the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco for the first time since 2012, starring in the role of the Empress in Richard Strauss’s “Die Frau ohne Schatten” alongside Nina Stemme (as the Dyer’s Wife) and Linda Watson (as the Nurse) among others.
David Hockney’s vibrant production of “Die Frau ohne Schatten“, which was co-produced by the Los Angeles Opera and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, was overall well-received. Especially since the piece was last shown in San Francisco 34 years ago and had therefore been eagerly awaited.
“Wie eine warme kalifornische Sonne die Golden Gate Bridge im sommerlichen Schein rot erleuchten lässt, so strahlt Camilla Nylunds Stimme hell und warm auch dieses prächtige Opernhaus voll. Sie steht auf der Bühne, ob allein im Spotlight, ganz links in der Ecke, egal, sie singt einen Ton und das Haus gehört ihr allein.“ Johannes Karl Fischer, Klassik Begeistert.
“As the title role of the opera (The Empress), Camilla Nylund brought an otherworldly quality to her personification of the character. With her silvery bright voice, she navigated the coloratura passages in her opening monologue in Act 1 with ease, and later on traded that with grit and determination for the confrontation with Keikobad in Act 3.” Michael Anthonio, Parterre Box.
“Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund, who made her debut here as Elsa in “Lohengrin,” presents the role of The Empress in lofty, light tones until the final act, when she comes into her own, singing her newly gained humanity in brilliant, silvery lines.” Caroline Crawford, Local News Matters.
“The best was Camilla Nylund. The Finnish soprano lavished plush, gorgeous sound on the Empress’s music: her melodic phrasing and ability to rise to an effortless top paid dividends at every turn. She could thrill without ever being shrill, and she portrayed the character’s arc from selfishness to generosity with welcome specificity.” Harvey Steiman, Seen and Heard International.
“From beginning to end, Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund portrayed the Empress with a steely power, her voice marked by shimmering highs and dramatic heft when called for, well-suited for Strauss’ musical imaginings.” Richard Bammer, The Reporter.
“Camilla Nylund reaffirmed her status as a Straussian of the first order with a multifaceted portrayal of the Empress enriched by the luminous, precise focus of her instrument.” Thomas May, Gramophone.
In an interview with AP News prior to the premiere on June 4th Camilla stated: “It’s really something very, very special.”.
She will be reprising the role of the Empress in the coming season at the Semperoper Dresden.
Natasha Orrell