No animals were harmed in the making of the video displayed during the performance. 

The film displayed during the performance contains extracts from the silent movie Berlin - Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927) of Walther Ruttmann. (Distributor: FOX Film Corporation US, and FOX EUROPE) 

In the film projected during the performance the costumes of the production Boito: Mefistofele also appear, costume designer Mari Benedek.

Act I

The Emperor of a remote island marries the daughter of Keikobad, King of the Spirit Realm. As the daughter of Keikobad and a mortal woman, the girl was blessed with the magic power of transformation and appeared as a white gazelle before the Emperor as he was hunting. Just before she was slain by his spear, fear caused her beautiful body to break free from the animal figure, and so hunter and prey fell in love. Three days hence, the Emperor and the Empress will have been living together on the desolate island surrounded by the Seven Moon Mountains for a full year. 

Having married a mortal man, Keikobads daughter has lost her magical power of transformation, but she does not become entirely mortal: her body never casts a shadow. Light penetrates her as through glass. It is dawn. The Empresss Nurse is awake: she is guarding her ladys dream in the hated mortals arms. Although she despises the world of humans and yearns to return to the Spirit Realm, she does not leave her lady. Just as in the previous eleven months, a messenger of the Spirit Realm arrives, now for the twelfth time, to enquire whether Keikobads daughter is casting a shadow. Upon hearing the bad news, he informs her of the decision of the King of the Spirit Realm: if the Empress fails to cast a shadow in three days time and is not pregnant, she must return to her country, and the Emperor will be turned to stone. The Emperor sets off on a three-day hunt to find his favourite falcon, the one that helped him catch the white gazelle. In his wrath, the Emperor wounded the bird with his dagger. The falcon has not been seen since. 

The Nurse wakes the Empress. They catch sight of a falcon with bleeding wings, and the crying bird repeats the curse engraved in the Empresss talisman: If the woman does not cast a shadow, the Emperor will turn to stone. The Empress begs the Nurse for help. The Nurse can see only one solution: they must obtain the shadow of a mortal woman. But to do so, they must descend to a human world that exudes deadly vapours.

Barak, the muscular but good-natured dyer, lives with his young wife and three crippled brothers in humble conditions. The woman is unhappy, they have been married for two-and-half years but she has not fallen pregnant. She blames Barak for her fate, but he optimistically waits and hopes for the blessing that will come. 

The Nurse and the Empress, disguised as servants, arrive at the dyers dwelling. When the husband leaves for the marketplace to sell his goods, the Nurse uses several tricks to deceive Baraks beautiful wife, who deserves a better fate: she is promised treasure, wealth, lovers and eternal youth in return for her shadow, that dark nothing stuck to her heels. The wife accepts the deal: these two strange women will serve her for three days and will be paid with her shadow; in exchange, she will receive eternal life. When Barak arrives home, he is welcomed by an unusually whimsical wife. He can only find one explanation for this: she must be pregnant. Barak is happy - there is nothing he desires more than a child.

Act II

The following morning. As soon as Barak leaves home, the Nurse uses vicious magic to conjure before the Dyers Wife the figure of a young boy she saw in the town earlier. The young lover appears as a pale and weak giant. Baraks wife resists temptation. Particularly as she hears her husband approaching in loud company. Believing that he will soon become a father, the generous Barak returns home with a prodigal dinner in the company of his brothers and child beggars to celebrate together. But all he gets from his wife is a rebuke. 

That same night. The Emperor has found his falcon. The bird leads him to the hunting lodge hidden in the middle of the forest. The Emperor is shocked to find there his wife and the Nurse as they enter the lodge after returning from the world of men; their bodies exude the sinful odour of humans. The Emperor is stricken by jealousy: he prepares to kill his wife, whom he believes to be adulterous. But eventually he cannot do so - he walks broken-hearted to the arid rocks where neither humans nor animals can hear his grief. 

The following day, the Dyers Wife and Nurse are impatiently waiting for Barak to leave home again. But he does not feel well and asks for something to drink. The Nurse drugs his drink and then attempts to conjure up once again the figure of the young lover in the dim room. The woman resists: she does not want to be controlled by the Nurse, this black and white spotted snake. Threatened by the ghost-like apparition, the terrified woman wakes her sleeping husband. Barak comes around but does not understand why his wife is accusing him, and why she then flees the house in terror. The Empress begins to feel pity and the prick of conscience on seeing the struggles of the Dyers Wife. Night. The Empress suffers nightmares in the lodge. First she sees the distressed Baraks face and then the Emperor as he enters a tomb in a rock and is turned to stone. The Empress blames herself for the suffering of the two men. 

The Dyers Wife tells Barak that she has cuckolded him in his own house on several occasions and has even sold her own shadow: no childrens feet will ever touch her womb. Her shadow disappears. Barak is furious and suddenly a sword appears in his hand: his muscular arm is ready to strike. Despite the Nurses pleadings, the Empress does not want a shadow spoiled by blood. The Dyers Wife sees her husband as she has always wanted to see him: as a strong man in pursuit of justice. She confesses to him that she has never committed adultery, but is nevertheless ready to accept her husbands lethal blow. But then the ground opens up below them. Barak and his wife disappear into the depths.

Act III

Deep underground, Barak and his wife are suffering agony in dark loneliness, separated from one another. Barak suffers pangs of guilt for making his wife unhappy, and genuine, pure love rises in his wifes heart. A path leading upwards opens before each of them.

A boat arrives on the shore near the highest peak of the Seven Moon Mountains: it brings the Empress and the Nurse. The Nurse fears Keikobads wrath as the Empress prepares to apologise to her father. She dismisses the Nurse forever: Your knowledge of the intentions of humans is lacking, you do not know the deep secrets in their hearts. The desperate Nurse cries Keikobads name. A messenger arrives and rebukes the Nurse for uttering the name of the one whose child she had to guard but could not protect. As a punishment, she must wander among humans and dwell with those she hates. In the meantime, Barak and his wife are desperately seeking each other. The Empress hears a voice: all she must do is drink of the Golden Water of Life and she can become like the one whose shadow she is yearning for. Theres blood in the water, I wont drink it! I sinned here, this is where I belong, the Empress cries. Her husband has been turned to stone, only his gaze lives on, begging for help. But the woman would rather die than sacrifice Barak and his wifes happiness for her own.

The curse is broken: the Emperor becomes a flesh-and-blood man again; Barak and his wife find each other. Now both women cast shadows. 

Ye wedded folk, lying in each others arms, 

you are the bridge across the great abyss, 

on which the dead return again to life! 

Blessed be the fruit of your love!

János Matuz

The opera's story is set in the mythical empire of the Southeastern Islands and involves five principal characters: the Emperor (tenor), the Empress (soprano), her Nurse (mezzo-soprano), Barak, a lowly dyer (bass-baritone), and the Dyer's Wife (dramatic soprano). A sixth character, Keikobad, King of the Spirit Realm and father to the Empress, sets the plot in motion, but never appears on stage. The Empress is half human: she was captured by the Emperor in the form of a gazelle. She assumed human shape and he married her, but she has no shadow. This symbolizes her inability to bear children. Keikobad has decreed that unless the Empress gains a shadow before the end of the twelfth moon, she will be reclaimed by her father and the Emperor will turn to stone.

Act 1

Scene 1

It is dawn, outside the bedchambers of the Emperor and Empress. The Messenger of Keikobad arrives, and tells the Empress's nurse that the Empress must acquire a shadow within three days, or will be forcibly returned to his realm, and the Emperor turned to stone. The Nurse is excited about the prospect of returning to the spirit world, since she hates humans and having to dwell with them.

The Messenger leaves and the Emperor emerges from his bedchamber. He departs on a three-day hunting trip, seeking his favorite falcon, which he drove away for attacking a gazelle that later turned into the Empress. He leaves his wife to the Nurse's care. The Empress emerges from her chamber and reminisces about times when she had the ability to turn into any creature she wanted.

It is revealed that after being attacked by the red falcon that the Emperor is seeking, she lost a talisman that gave transformation powers, and on which was inscribed a curse that foresaw the fate she and the Emperor are about to face if she does not acquire a shadow. The red falcon appears and warns the Empress that the curse is about to be fulfilled. The Empress begs the Nurse to help her get a shadow. The Nurse, who is steeped in magic, suggests descending to the mortal world and finding a woman who will sell her shadow to the Empress.

Scene 2

Barak, a dyer, shares his hut with his Wife and his three brothers: the One-Eyed Man, the One-Armed Man, and the Hunchback. The three brothers fight about a stolen item and are separated by the Wife, who throws a bucket of water at them. The brothers-in-law then argue with the Wife. Barak enters and stops the argument. The Wife wants to have her in-laws thrown out, but her husband refuses.

The Dyer desires children, but his Wife fears the responsibility and has secretly sworn not to have any. The Dyer and his brothers leave, and the Empress and the Nurse arrive in disguise. The Wife wants them out of her house but the Nurse conjures up visions of luxury and promises them to the Wife in return for her shadow. The Wife agrees to deny her husband for three days during which the Nurse and the Empress will live at the Dyer's hut as poor relatives who have come to work as servants.

Barak approaches and the Wife is worried that dinner is not ready, the Nurse once more uses her magic to have everything ready, including the splitting of Barak's bed in two. The Nurse and Empress disappear, and the Wife is greatly upset by the offstage Voices of Unborn Children lamenting, which emerge from the fish that are cooking on the fire. The Dyer returns to find he is barred from his marital bed. The Wife curtly informs him of the impending stay of her "cousins" and goes off to her separate bed. From outside the Town Watchmen are heard singing of the importance of conjugal love. Barak sighs and lies down to sleep on the floor.

Act 2

Scene 1

The Empress, acting as a servant, helps the Dyer leave for work, but is troubled by her role, because Barak is very kind to her. The Nurse conjures up the image of a handsome youth by bringing a broom to life, which tempts the Dyer's Wife. The Dyer returns with his hungry brothers and beggar children. He has had a magnificent day at the market, selling all his goods, and has invited everyone to celebrate. However, his Wife manages to ruin the celebration.

Scene 2

The Emperor is led to his hunting lodge in the forest by the red falcon. He sees the Empress and Nurse surreptitiously enter the lodge, and is suspicious. When he comes closer, he smells a human odor trailing the Empress. Thinking she has betrayed him, he resolves to kill her. He first thinks of using an arrow, and then his sword, and then his bare hands. Finally he realizes he can't do it. He resolves to seek out some isolated ravine to be alone with his misery.

Scene 3

At the Dyer's house, the Dyer is drugged into sleep by the Nurse. The Nurse again conjures up the young man for the Wife, who grows frightened and rouses the Dyer. Barak is surprised to learn that there is a man in his house but then is quickly turned upon by his Wife, who shouts at him, then leaves for the city, leaving her confused husband. Left alone with Barak, the Empress feels more guilty than before.

Scene 4

The Empress goes to sleep at the hunting lodge, but in her sleep she is further troubled by her crime and by the possible fate of the Emperor. In a dream, she sees the Emperor enter her father's realm. Unseen choruses chant the curse of the talisman. Awakening, she is overcome with guilt and remorse.

Scene 5

The next day, the Wife announces that she has sold her shadow. When a fire reveals that she has no shadow, the enraged Barak is ready to kill her. The Empress cries out that she no longer wants the shadow. A sword appears in the Dyer's hand. His brothers restrain him as the Wife declares her remorse and urges Barak to kill her. An earthquake splits the ground and Barak and his wife are swallowed into the earth. The brothers flee, and the Nurse, recognizing Keikobad's hand, spirits the Empress away.

Act 3

Scene 1

In a grotto beneath the realm of Keikobad, the wife and the Dyer are seen in separate chambers, unaware of the other's presence. The Wife is haunted by the Voices of Unborn Children. She protests that she loves the Dyer, who regrets his attempted violence. A voice directs them up separate staircases.

Scene 2

The Empress and Nurse arrive before Keikobad's Temple. The Nurse tries to convince the Empress to escape but she remembers the doors from her dream and knows that her father is waiting for her on the other side. She dismisses the Nurse and enters. The Nurse foretells terrible tortures awaiting the Empress and misleads the Wife and Barak, who are looking for each other, she to die at her husband's hand, he to forgive her and hold her in his arms. Keikobad's Messenger condemns the Nurse to wander the mortal world.

Scene 3

Inside the Temple, the Empress speaks to Keikobad, asking for forgiveness and to find her place amongst those who cast shadows. Keikobad does not answer but shows the Emperor already almost petrified. The Fountain of Life springs up before the Empress, and a temple guardian urges her to drink from it and claim the Wife's shadow for herself. But the Dyer and the Wife are heard offstage, and the Empress refuses to steal their future happiness and become human by robbing humanity from someone else: "Ich will nicht!" ("I will not!"). This act of renunciation frees her: she receives a shadow, and the Emperor is restored to natural form

Scene 4

The scene changes to a beautiful landscape. Barak and his Wife are reunited and she regains her own shadow. Both couples sing of their humanity and praise their Unborn Children.