Furious expressionism, Greek references, and erotic dots. Ingredients for a Greek Tragedy for sure. The Armory Show this morning turned out to be a nice preview for tonight’s opera.
WHAT – A -NIGHT – AT – THE – OPERA!
I think I’m sweating.
I am completely overwhelmed by what I heard tonight. Yannick Nézet-Seguin held the tension like reins on wild horses and as the opera built toward it’s final crescendo – He let go. The orchestra erupted with a violence befitting Greek tragedy.
I’m not sure how the vocals ever got above the orchestra, but they did ably. Georke’s fun with the character was contagious as she stomped like a single minded teenager shouting for bloody revenge. She is absolutely crazed, then you meet mom… This could be any family squabble in the kitchen. The chemistry is palpable as this dysfunctional family works to resolve their problems.
So what’s Elektra all about? It begins with the end of Agamemnon. On his way by ship to fight against Troy. Artemis is holding back his fleet because she is mad that he hunted one of her deer. To appease her and free his fleet he sacrifices his daughter, Iphigenia. When Agamemnon returns without his daughter his wife and mother of Iphigenia, murders him with an ax in the bath and begins to rule with her lover Aegith. The opera begins with half crazed daddy girl Elektra, who wants revenge on her mother Klytemnestra. Her sister, Chrysothemis who always got straight A’s and just wants everyone to happy implores her to let it go. To add insult to injury there is news that their brother Orest is also dead.
Klytemnestra meanwhile is having a tell tale heart experience troubled by bad dreams and sleepless nights. She sings that she would gladly sacrifice animals and people if she could just get a good night sleep. Elektra humorously tells her that is a great idea and she should kill herself to solve the problem. Blood will flow and the orchestra will rock before the curtains close and Elektra will join the likes of Giselle and the pagan from Rite of Spring.
Notes on the production
No intermission and straight thru. I liked the minimal and grey brown set that kept the focus anchored on the auditory experience. Goerke played a convincingly independent and strong Elektra and she and the rest sounded great, made even more impressive against the big sounds from the pit.
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Composer………………………… Richard Strauss
Elektra……………………..……….. Christine Goerke
Klytaemnestra…………………. Michaela Schuster
Chrysothemis………………….. Elza van den Heever
Orest…………………………………. Mikhail Petrenko
Aegisthus…………………………. Jay Hunter Morris
Conductor……………………..… Yannick Nezet-Seguin
The Metropolitan Opera
3/9/18