Elektra, opera by Richard Strauss

Another Elektra with Agnes Baltsa as Klytämnestra in Zurich January 29th. Why do I do it? I find ELEKTRA boring and depressing. 1hr 50 minutes with no pause. If I were in New York I could have seen STIFFELIO with José Cura, Stiffelio is as long as Elektra but it has 3 acts and intermissions. I would have loved a 35 minutes intermission in the one-act-opera of Elektra. And José Cura is great as Stiffelio, Klytämnestra  (Agnes Baltsa) has only 20 minutes of singing, unfortunately not Richard Strauss finest opera.

BUT on the good side, I will see Agnes Baltsa, my favorite mezzo, and it will be interesting, I hope, to see a new production. But it is not Giuseppe Verdi, my favorite opera composer. It doesn't have as great melodies as Stiffelio, my favorite opera. If José Cura was singing, no.

The best melodies in Elektra is in the orchestra pieces.

Remember this is only my opinion of Elektra, YOU are free to have Elektra as favorite opera. I wish I loved it, too.

I have seen Elektra before:
2007-10-19, 2007-11-24, 2008-02-26

Stiffelio: 1997-06-23, 2004-09-26, 2004-10-07, 2004-11-19, 2006-03-24, 2006-03-26, 2007-05-05, 2007-05-08, 2007-05-10, 2009-02-07, 2009-02-10

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com