To get through nearly two hours of singing without any intermission required endurance and talent the caliber of Susan Bullock playing the lead role was able to deliver. Elektra is based on Greek mythology and is a story of tragedy and vengeance often labeled as a "psycho-drama" of Freudian and Shakespearean influences.
The opera premiered in Dresden in 1909 making it 100 years old now and still a popular choice among Strauss lovers along with Salome, also an opera in one act and famous for its Dance of the Seven Veils. To support the overwhelming emotional content of the opera an unusually large orchestra is used in Elektra. The music defined the moods ranging from an expression of tenderness to grim rage and in order to achieve symphonic balance, the voices of the major players, two sopranos and a mezzo-soprano, must rise above the orchestra's own powerful sounds. And that's exactly what happened.
It is a simple set outside of the palace with a giant statue of a horse lying on its side representing the Trojan Horse. In this Met debut, the demanding role of Elektra was flawlessly filled by Bullock who is as brilliant a soprano and as graceful an actress herself. She danced the ecstatic dance of triumph as she avenged the death of her father Agamemnon, waving an ax about the stage and finally collapsing to her own death. (No Celine, she didn't have a heart attack, that's not classy. This is the opera, remember?)
The climax left some of us feeling something; I for one, unsure whether Elektra died in her moment of hysteria or she killed herself. It turned out she was overwhelmed by her emotions that she falls dead. It was a superb performance with the dance scene as a great conclusion.
Once again, kudos to the Met for another splendid production. This was a thrilling experience.
