'You know,
for me,
celestial bodies
have had,
ever since
my early childhood,
a really uncommon
and extraordinary
meaning.
I often stood
and looked towards
the heavens above,
not very consciously
and almost
dream-like.
How could there be
so many?
And I thought to myself:
What is the significance
of each of these bodies,
do people live on them?
How do they relate
to the earth?'*
Discovering
the stage as cosmic space Richard
Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten
One must however
not get the idea that orphan works are the only pieces that readily lend
themselves to Schneider-Siemssen's cosmic renderings. For example, he found
that he could indulge his cosmic visions in a magnificent opera that has
seen many stage incarnations and that is beloved by conductors for its lush,
complex orchestration - Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten (The
Woman without a Shadow). In the manner of a parable, this musically and
dramatically challenging work explores relationships, fulfillment and the
absence of children, the cosmic element filtering through encounters among
characters living on earthly and other-worldly planes of existence.
Schneider-Siemssen has staged Frau many times dating back to his
days in Bremen, and he says "each time I think I come a bit closer
to knowing its mystery," discovering new connections and symbolisms.
But two productions stand out: Vienna State Opera's in 1964 (set designs
shown above) with Herbert von Karajan conducting and directing, and the
Salzburg Easter Festival's in 1974 with Karl Böhm conducting and Günther
Rennert directing (set designs below).
On
analyzing the work, he and Rennert "...ascertained that the course
of the mystical action takes place in three spheres: the lowest of which
is mankind, to which the dyer, his wife, his misshapen brothers and the
city guards belong. They are however shown as different shapes in the colorful
piece, and have an important task. Above this dull "Menschenwelt" ("World
of Men"), lies the sphere of the Emperor, who must undergo the difficult
process of purification, to reach the lofty maturity of his empress. And
above this, high in the mountains of the Emperor's world lies the third
that exists only in the mind ... No easy task, to depict these separate
worlds and yet keep these secret relationships recognizable." *
To this day, Schneider-Siemssen is convinced that Strauss' masterpiece
offers enormous possibilities for stage designers and directors. As to other
Strauss operas, he ranks his designs for Salome
as being among the more interesting.
There are of course other major works in the
repertory with overt or implicit cosmic implications, and he has designed
splendid sets for these as well. But deserving special attention for a quite
special reason is Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle.... ŠJB/FanFaire
2001
* [From
G. Schneider-Siemssen in conversation with K. Pahlen: Die
Bühne, mein Leben
, Selke Verlag 1996;
(The Stage, My Life
- English translation by James Mulder, in press)]
One must however
not get the idea that orphan works are the only pieces that readily lend
themselves to Schneider-Siemssen's cosmic renderings. For example, he found
that he could indulge his cosmic visions in a magnificent opera that has
seen many stage incarnations and that is beloved by conductors for its lush,
complex orchestration - Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten (The
Woman without a Shadow). In the manner of a parable, this musically and
dramatically challenging work explores relationships, fulfillment and the
absence of children, the cosmic element filtering through encounters among
characters living on earthly and other-worldly planes of existence. 
