Live from the Met in HD - "Elektra" by R. Strauss.
The story is that of Elektra, daughter of King Agamemnon of ancient Greece. Her father has been murdered and her mother is shacked up with a man who (I believe) is the murderer. Elektra and her sister are either under house arrest or in prison. And, she is going quite noisily mad.
Two hours and ten minutes (no intermission) of non-stop drama and some really dramatic singing.
Drab sets and costumes, but who cares? Nina Stemme as "Elektra" is a superb singer and a great actress, as the following photos show.
These productions are seen live from NY in theaters all over the world, and are not to be missed.
Nina Stemme will open next seasons series singing one of the title roles in Tristan and Isolde, and we're already looking forward to it.
Earlier this season, we saw her in the title role of Turandot, and she was greeat.
In the following picture, Stemme looks a bit better as herself:
Wish we had such quality productions here that people can actually afford to go to without breaking their bank accounts. You're lucky and I'm truly envious you got to watch this and more
ReplyDeleteIt is a stunning opera. I have a bluray of the original Aix-en-Provence production with Herlitzius as Elektra. It was Patrice Chereau's last production. It's a wonderful work - I saw it last year at the Sydney Opera House with the SSO and David Robertson in a concert production.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to see this when it comes out or buy it on DVD (to add to the many recordings I have of this opera)
Isn't the Sydney Opera House a great venue? I visited Sydney in January of 1995, and while I was there, I attended a performance of Turandot at the opera house. The cast was all Australian, except for Turandot, who was sung by American soprano Leona Mitchell. I've seen Turandot two or three times since then, but it was never as good as it was in Sydney.
ReplyDeleteIt has it's moments!
ReplyDeleteWas there yesterday for the SSO playing Shostakovich Symphony No 7 conducted by Oleg Caetani - for memory!!
The Graeme Murphy Turandot Production is absolutely one of the best I've seen. I've seen it about 3 times. This year we had a new production as part of the yearly Opera on the Harbour
https://opera.org.au/aboutus/past_events/2016/turandot-on-sydney-harbour
Oh and Yes Leona Mitchell was fantasic. In 1991 we had Grace Bumbry do the role
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjosCCiG_bw
Richard
The highlight of my cultural year during the seventies and right up till the tours stopped, was to go to Atlanta for Opera Week. The Met performed 7 operas (Monday thru Sat nights, and a Sat matinee).. Season ticket holders had to take the matinee and any four other operas. It was a wonderful time. The scene in my book 'View From Baskins Ridge' where the characters meet members of the cast at a bar is taken right out of my experience.
DeleteAs for Turandot down under, I recall the Australian cast as being superb, and that Ping, Pang, and Pong were given interesting things to do while they did their singing. It was a magical time for me.
Now, in retirement, my experience of opera is limited to Live from the MET in HD productions at a local multiplex. And I have to say, that seeing a live performance on a big screen is more up close and personal than being in the opera house, and I've sat in both Rows A and B in the opera house in Lincoln Center. I don't like some of the crazy new productions they've inflicted upon the public, and won't attend them, but there's still plenty to see.