User Reviews

I am a big fan of classical music/ballet/opera, and I was really taken by this production of Richard Strauss's opera Elektra.

The setting is very atmospheric, it has a somewhat apocalyptic feel to it which added further to any authenticity. The photography is skillful too, while the costumes are well-rendered. Strauss's music is outstanding, Elektra is not my favourite of his operas by all means like Der Rosenkavalier, but there are some wonderful highlights that is beautifully performed and sensitively conducted by Bohm, particularly Klytemnestra's murder scene and Elektra's death dance.

The story is very stirring and evocative, it is very dark and brutal in its themes, but it is ceaselessly compelling. The acting and singing is top drawer, Leonie Rysanek is an exceptional Elektra with a limpid voice and riveting acting ability, Astrid Varnay is superb in both acting and singing and Dietrich-Fischer Dieskau the fine, thoughtful performer he is is wonderful as Orestes.

Overall, an atmospheric and fine production. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I saw this performance of Strauss' "Elektra" when it premiered on television, and have not seen it since. It, nevertheless, made a profound impact on me. I am rarely impressed by "modern" re-imaginings of operas. Such productions are usually failures. The "innovative" elements tend to be aesthetically unappealing, and frequently distract from the music. Friedrich's version of "Elektra" is an exception.

The costumes and staging, in an abandoned factory if I remember correctly, give the production an apocalyptic feeling, which is appropriate, as the lives of the characters of the opera are being destroyed by their own actions. The director shows us their dark, violent, harsh world. He evokes the primal qualities present in myth, and creates a real sense of ferocity, which is rare in operatic productions. Such darkness and brutality might not be appealing to many viewers, but are in keeping with the sentiment of the story itself, and are effective here.

Although my memory of the production is fifteen years old now, as I recall, the performers are all very good. I was certainly impressed with them at the time I saw this production.