Elektra is as I've said before not my favourite of Strauss' operas, but it is perhaps his most powerful and evocative. Of all the productions I've seen of Elektra, I have been blown away by them all, but this one was my favourite. It moved me, gave me chills and it is incredibly evocative and powerful.
The costumes and sets, while traditional with the costumes fitting for each character and the sets with its cavern/dungeon-like look, add to the evocative and dark atmosphere, the camera angles are sweeping and the picture quality is very good. Elektra is so magnificent musically, with the music to Klyntemnestra's murder always have a blood-curdling effect.
It is beautifully performed by the orchestra, and James Levine conducts superbly, you can tell by the passion of his conducting and also his mannerisms that he is always feeling the music in his bones.
Elektra(1980) is blessed with wonderful performances. Perhaps this is not Birgit Nilsson at her best, some of her pitch is questionable, but I cannot question the power of her voice and the dramatic intensity she brings to the role. She quite simply IS Elektra. Leonie Rysanek was a great Elektra herself, here she plays Chrystothemis, and is every bit as commanding, and Donald McIntyre is a fine Orest. While I am a Brigitte Fassbaender fan myself when it comes to Klytemnestra, Mignon Dunn is simply wonderful and really quite blood-curdling.
All in all, an overwhelmingly brilliant performance of a very difficult(Elektra is one of the most demanding soprano roles ever) but hugely compelling opera. 10/10 Bethany Cox
The costumes and sets, while traditional with the costumes fitting for each character and the sets with its cavern/dungeon-like look, add to the evocative and dark atmosphere, the camera angles are sweeping and the picture quality is very good. Elektra is so magnificent musically, with the music to Klyntemnestra's murder always have a blood-curdling effect.
It is beautifully performed by the orchestra, and James Levine conducts superbly, you can tell by the passion of his conducting and also his mannerisms that he is always feeling the music in his bones.
Elektra(1980) is blessed with wonderful performances. Perhaps this is not Birgit Nilsson at her best, some of her pitch is questionable, but I cannot question the power of her voice and the dramatic intensity she brings to the role. She quite simply IS Elektra. Leonie Rysanek was a great Elektra herself, here she plays Chrystothemis, and is every bit as commanding, and Donald McIntyre is a fine Orest. While I am a Brigitte Fassbaender fan myself when it comes to Klytemnestra, Mignon Dunn is simply wonderful and really quite blood-curdling.
All in all, an overwhelmingly brilliant performance of a very difficult(Elektra is one of the most demanding soprano roles ever) but hugely compelling opera. 10/10 Bethany Cox
