Elektra
Story & Setting:
Tales of the Trojan War have inspired composers throughout operatic
history, and the tragic story of the mythic House of Atreus appears many times in the Western canon. Strauss' one-act opera derives mainly from the Greek tragedy by Sophocles. The unhinged title character's descent is showcased amid a dark and depression-ridden set design in Patrice Chéreau's 2016 staging.
Opera Notes:
Strauss' score, set to an adapted libretto by frequent collaborator Hugo von Hofmannsthal, mixes beautifully lush harmonies with striking dissonances and violent outbursts. The musical language serves to underscore the dual nature of the tempestuous Elektra, and uses a variety of leitmotifs to represent alternating emotions of joy, vengeance, and trauma.
Sung in
German
Length:
1 hour & 45 minutes
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Watch/Listen
"Vater Agamemnon" (Christine Goerke)
Met Opera (current production)
Recognition Scene (Nina Stemme, Eric Owens)
Met Opera (current production)