Conductor Christian Thielemann takes the podium at the Vienna State Opera to lead Strauss’s grand mythological epic, a tour de force for orchestra and soloists alike. A spectacular trio of sopranos lead the ensemble cast, with Elza van den Heever as the otherworldly Empress, Elena Pankratova as the Dyer’s Wife, and Tanja Ariane Baumgartner as the Nurse. Following recent triumphs in Wagner’s Ring cycle and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, baritone Michael Volle is Barak, with tenor Andreas Schager as the Emperor and baritone Clemens Unterreiner as the Spirit Messenger.
RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 15th June, 7pm-10pm
