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Strauss's Elektra: Mythological Horror Outshines Film
24 Aug
Summary
- Strauss's Elektra uses a massive 111-piece orchestra for its effects.
- Singers delivered superb performances in all roles, even small ones.
- The concert performance rivaled cinematic horrors in dramatic intensity.
Richard Strauss's opera "Elektra" created profound mythological horror primarily through the force of its 111-piece orchestra. The score's complexity and unique instrumentation make it a challenge for many companies, but concert performances, like the one at Usher Hall, Edinburgh, offer a rewarding experience.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, under conductor Karina Canellakis, navigated Strauss's dissonant and demanding music with exceptional skill. They produced brutal climaxes and moments of refined beauty, with precise execution of intricate instrumental details.
All vocal performances were superb, with notable contributions from Lea Shaw and Emma Morwood among the maids, and Lee Bisset as the Overseer. Günther Groissböck as Oreste and John Daszak as Aegisthus provided strong male presences.
The evening's core drama was carried by the three lead female singers. Karen Cargill was compelling as Klytämnestra, Vida Miknevičiūtė delivered radiant singing as Chrysothemis, and Ingela Brimberg gave a vocally powerful and nuanced performance in the title role.
Acted with as much dedication as sung, the performers used the space imaginatively, intensifying the story's horrors to a degree that rivaled even elaborate stagings or films.
