Posts Tagged ‘Elektra’
Perth Elektra Review in ARG May 2012
May 16, 2012 | Author insider
American Record Guide review of Perth Elektra by Robert Markow just appeared in latest magazine online. Key take-aways from the review:
Matthew Lutton’s production overall was praised; “persuasive and compelling.”
Of the women, Elizabeth Campbell’s Klytemnestra considered “the best developed” character. Eva Johanasson as Elektra “hurled forth her lines with gleaming brilliance and power, but there was little color or nuance; the character remained two dimensional.” Orla Boylan’s Chrysothemis was “slightly more lyrical and less forceful, but it was still often difficult to tell the sisters apart.”
Of the men, Richard Greager’s Aegisth was best; “mincing, foppish delivery was entirely appropriate for Aegisth,” In contrast, Daniel Sumegi’s Orestes not liked; “pinched, tremulous voice did him no credit as Orestes.”
As for West Australian Symphony; “a splendid ensemble but it did not realize its potential in Elektra with the lackluster conducting of WAO’s Artistic Director Richard Mills (also one of Australia’s leading composers). Not even the opera’s most volcanic moments, including the recognition scene and Elektra’s dance of triumph, generated much excitement.”
By: James Thompson
Review – ELEKTRA
February 14, 2012 | Author insider
ELEKTRA
Opera in One Act by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, after Sophocles
Performance on Saturday, 11th February 2012 at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth Western Australia.
A co-production of West Australian Opera, ThinIce, Perth International Arts Festival and Opera Australia.
Conductor Richard Mills
Director Matthew Lutton
Set and Costume Designer Zoe Atkinson
Lighting Designer Paul Jackson
Repetiteur Andrea Katz
Elektra Eva Johansson
Chrysothemis Orla Boylan
Klytamnestra Elizabeth Campbell
Orest Daniel Sumegi
Aegisth Richard Greager
Orest’s Tutor Jame’s Clayton
Confidante Sarah-Janet Brittenden
Trainbearer Lucy Mervik
Young Servant Samuel Sakkar
Old Servant Ryan Sharp
Overseer Merlyn Quaiffe
First Maid Bernadette Lucarnus
Second Maid Donna Friedl
Third Maid Fiona Campbell
Fourth Maid Harriett O’Shannessy
Fifth Maid Jennifer Barrington
Agamemnon James Berlyn
Sacrificial Victim Shirley van Sanden
With the West Australian Opera Chorus and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
To say this opera production was a most anticipated event would be an understatement. In this part of the world any new production of ELEKTRA is a RARE event. This was a red carpet event for both the West Australian Opera and the Perth International Arts Festival, and a red carpet was indeed laid out on the footpath outside the theatre. The anticipation and excitement was partially satisfied by this production. Performed in the beautiful, Edwardian His Majesty’s Theatre (built in 1904 during the Western Australian gold rush). Performances of this bloody tale of obsession and matricide is the last thing you would expect in this enchanting theatre. But see it we did.
Hofmannsthal based the libretto on Sophocles Greek tragedy of the ancient King of Mycenae and protagonist in the Troy war, Agamemnon. Before the action commences, Agamemnon’s brother, Aegisth, has brutally stabbed him to death in his bath, his wife Klytamnestra has hacked his dead body to pieces with an axe, his wife and brother are now joined and Aegisth is the new King. His son Orest, the rightful heir to the thrown has been banished, leaving his sisters Elektra and Chrysothemis alone at the palace. Elektra is obsessed with revenging her father’s death and tries to enlist her weak and vacillating sister in aiding her in killing Aegisth and her mother Klytemnestra. The palace and Klytemnestra are diseased. Klytemnestra thinks a sacrifice to the Gods will cure all ills but cannot decide on an appropriate animal to sacrifice. Elektra taunts her hinting to her that her death is near. Orest, presumed to be dead, returns to the palace and reveals himself to Elektra, who wasted and dishevelled is unrecognisable. Little discussion is needed. Orest ascends the stairs to the palace and kills his mother Klytemnestra amidst a cacophony of screams. Aegisth enters and is ushered up into the palace where he meets a similar fate. Elektra’s revenge is now complete, her purpose in life has now ended. Elektra, in an ecstatic dance of triumph, falls dead in front of her horror-stricken attendants.
The opera, designed by Australian Zoe Atkinson was set in a grimy cell with a narrow and claustrophobic stairway climbing upstairs at the back left hand side of the stage and some low windows on the side walls. Costumes were modern a la Target, with Elektra dressed in an ill-fitting skirt and hoody (hasn’t she been dressed like this before in another production ?). Chrysothemis was also dressed in a budget dress and slip and Orest also entered wearing a hoody (Target must have had a sale). The only glamour, if that is required for this gruesome tale of matricide and murder, was the glamorous, satin-like, cream pant-suit worn by a bald Klytemnestra (presumably her pyjamas), with gaudy drop diamond ear rings trailing almost to her neck and the biggest cluster of diamond rings I have ever seen. Aegisth sauntered onto the stage wearing camel coloured slacks, a mustard, fine woollen pullover, sunnies and a shock of white hair beautifully brushed back, causing some mirth in the audience.
The production was in the hands of the young and impressive Australian director, Matthew Lutton. This was only his second opera production – the other was Miroslav Srnka’s chamber opera MAKE NO NOISE staged in the Pavillion 21 Mini Opera Space of the Bavarian State Opera. Lutton’s production was very faithful to the opera, and even many of Strauss and Hofmannsthals’ stage directions, but he added his own modern twist to the production with his much publicised concept bringing a startling visual intensity to the music, by allowing the audience to enter into the world of Elektra’s dreams and desires. The opera is essentially ‘seen’ through Elektra’s eyes, thus enhancing the psychological drama of the work. At the rise of the curtain, the maids equipped with a mop and dish rags are poised on the lip of the stage to the left as directed by Strauss, but wait, at the back of the stage facing the wall is an intruder, virtually naked with jaundiced skin. The cue for Lutton’s concept is taken from Elektra’s opening monologue, ‘Allein ! Weh, Ganz allein’, the mysterious figure slowly turns around when she sings ‘so you return, with slow relentless step, unlooked for, stand you there, with vengeful eyes’. When Elektra, after a few more phrases sings ‘Let me behold you, leave me not this day alone ! But as your want is, like a shadow, from the wall’s recesses come to greet your child ! Father ! Agamemnon ! Your day approaches’. With this, the figure slowly tears of his jaundiced skin revealing a body as black as night, and as requested he does not leave her this day – chilling stuff ! At times during the course of the opera the spirit of Agamemnon would slowly and deliberately make his way to Elektra or Klytemnestra to place his arms around them in an embrace, but never touching them.
Little was made of the opening Maids scene until the arrival of the Overseer, played by Merlyn Quaife, who provided the mostly inexperienced Maids (2 were making their premier major opera debut) with a stunning example of vocal acting and German pronunciation. The confrontation between Elektra and her sister Chrysothemis, (the butt of all her pent up anger) was very physical with Elektra pushing her around in her rage. The entrance of Klytemnestra was accompanied by her confidante and another young woman additional to the usual performers. After her contemplation of the necessity of a sacrifice to appease the Gods and heal her ailing body (and that of the palace), she turns to the seated girl and proceeds to scalp her with a knife, leaving a large, bloody head wound, then proceeds to wear the scalp as a wig. A missed opportunity was the confrontation scene between Elektra and her mother with both on opposite sides of the stage, Elektra sitting astride a reversed chair and little interaction between them. Before Klytemnestra’s murder, the spirit of Agamemnon slowly turns and outstretches his arm to indicate the axe leaning against the back wall. Elektra spends some time in stripping it of a rubber coating in preparation for the avenging murders. With the murder of her mother, accompanied by a cacophony of high pitched and long screams, Elektra drops the forgotten axe to the floor with a loud bang and a cloud of dust rises from the stage where it lands. Aegisth entrance as previously mentioned provoked fleeting mirth from the audience which broke the dramatic tension, but perhaps this was Lutton’s intention with this pathetic and risible character. With the final scene a dance of death for Elektra was replaced by the spirit of Agamemnon slowly moving to centre stage, to have blood as black as Indian ink slowly trickle over him while water oozed down the walls of the set. When the centre of the stage was filled with a large black pool, Agamemnon slowly descended and dissolved into the pool during the final bars of music, finally avenged and at peace, as Elektra intended.
Vocally the major principals were all phenomenal. West Australian Opera was both very wise and lucky to obtain the services of such an excellent exponent of Elektra in Eva Johansson. Vocally she remains in her prime with a voluminous and thrilling sound, some exquisite piano singing that had the audience holding it’s collective breath, and a crazed interpretation of the role. No less thrilling was the performance of Irish singer, Orla Boylan, making her role debut as Chrysothemis. The voice is large, well controlled and with a beautiful tone – another Elektra possibly in the making. Ms Boylan succinctly portrayed all the frailty of this character, and obtained much pathos while revealing to a disgusted Elektra her desire to leave the palace, lead a normal life, and eventually have children. The Klytemnestra of Elizabeth Campbell was also superbly sung by this experienced singer. She was suitably pathetic, cold and self-obscessed – just keep her away from the knives. Daniel Sumegi was vividly strong as Orest, and vocally secure with a highly resonant and ringing account of the role. His tone was smooth as silk without a hint of roughness. John Greager made the most of his smaller but critical role of Aegisth. Proving he should never consider retirement, he almost stopped the show with his entrance and stage presence, and his voice remains secure for these big and important character roles. The smaller roles sung by a largely inexperienced team were well sung, but one wonders whether a more experienced team would have aided this production a lot more.
The West Australian Symphony Orchestra was slightly expanded to 84 musicians for the production and was packed into a large pit, most of which projected far underneath the stage. The Strauss reduction of the score, reducing the orchestral numbers from the original 120 was used (Strauss knew the value of having his works widely performed and happily wrote the orchestral reduction himself for smaller theatres). The full complement of 24 violins separated into three groups was maintained, two thirds of the required violas for the full orchestration were present – again divided into three groups. The strings were completed with 10 cellos and 8 double basses. The original quota of 8 horns was reduced to 5 and the optional second harp was not used. Apart from some minor incoordination of the strings early in the piece, and a similar episode of incoordination of the brass in the final scenes – both in extremely complex sections of the score, the orchestral playing was exceptional. Unfortunately, the climaxes of the score remained muted due to a combination of burying the orchestra under the stage, the inevitable use of the reduced orchestration in this small theatre, and the conducting. This problem was evident from the opening, with the initial playing of the Agamemnon chord by the full orchestra, which failed to produce the desired hair raising effect.
Conducted by Richard Mills, this Elektra was drawn out from the usual playing time of around 90 minutes to 110 minutes, hampering the dramatic flow of the work, failing to produce the rapid outbursts of orchestral sound following quieter sections of singing, and lacking the marvellous ebb and flow of rhythm characteristic of Strauss works. I suspect the slower times placed an additional strain on the principal singers. At times, this work which is usually a battle of big and thrilling sounds between singers and orchestra, sounded more like a chamber opera.
This adventurous staging by the West Australian Opera with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was quite expertly presented despite some flaws. The well dressed audience was quite generous with it’s applause, yet never produced an ecstatic response or a chorus of bravos.
Despite a well thought out production with some exceptional scenes, this Elektra in the final analysis failed to provide that feeling of revulsion, the hackles standing on the back of the neck, gooseflesh and a pounding heart rate, which any great performance of ELEKTRA should.
WAO ELEKTRA set bump in
February 2, 2012 | Author insider
Well the stage is set and lit. Lets hope the stellar cast, and more importantly Richard Mills and the orchestra are all prepared for what should be a truly BIG operatic event !
Agamemnon ready to cast his long shadow on Western Australia
January 11, 2012 | Author insider
Preparations are well underway for the opening of the Western Australian premiere of Richard Strauss’ blood-fest opera ELEKTRA in under 4 weeks.
Elektra is the most gripping one hundred minutes in opera.
Elektra gives us one of Western civilisation’s greatest stories of fanatical love and revenge. A tour de force that drives performers and orchestra to their limit. It was the first collaboration between Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal, one of the most important composer-librettist partnerships in operatic history. It remains a unique work as powerful today as in its first performance in Dresden in 1909.
Director Matthew Lutton’s new production plans to bring startling visual intensity to the music, allowing the audience to enter into the world of Elektra’s dreams and desires. She has seen her father murdered, the city around her is cursed, and she longs for justice. Matthew Lutton, designer Zoe Atkinson and members of the creative team discuss their vision of the work in the video below.
The ELEKTRA cast includes International and Australian stars Eva Johansson, Orla Boylan, Daniel Sumegi, Elizabeth Campbell and Richard Greager. Richard Mills will conduct the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra in his last outing before the RING in Melbourne in November of 2013.
The production is a co-production of the West Australian Opera, ThinIce, Perth International Arts Festival and Opera Australia. A future east coast presentation by Opera Australia is planned.
Performances are at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth on February 8th, 11th and 14th.
If you don’t live in Perth – beg, borrow or steal a jet ticket. Just don’t miss it !!
Primrose’s fantastic Elektra on YouTube
August 5, 2011 | Author insider
Click Here Elektra Claire Primrose singing Monologue \”Allein! Weh, ganz allein.
“Fantastic YouTube video of Primrose singing Elektra’s Monologue!!!
Amazing singing and great presence and drama. All the more astonishing given it was in concert.
By: William Cohen
Eva Johansson to sing Elektra in Western Australia
July 11, 2011 | Author insider
Eva Johansson is to sing the title role in the 2012 production of Richard Strauss ELEKTRA for the Perth International Arts Festival in a Thin Ice/West Australian Opera/Opera Australia co-production.
Eva Johansson is a Danish dramatic soprano. She studied with the Copenhagen Opera Academy . She debuted with the Danish Royal Theatre in 1982 as the Countess in Mozart’s LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. She then went on to sing ELEKTRA, SALOME and Donna Anna in DON GIOVANNI. In 1988 she was invited to sing at the Deutsche Oper Berlin by Götz Friedrich, and has has had a long association with them ever since.
She has sung at the Bayreuth Festival playing Elsa in LOHENGRIN, Freia in DAS RHEINGOLD and Sieglinde in DIE WALKURE.
Her debut with the Metropolitan Opera came in 1998 when she played Eva in DIE MEISTERSINGER von NURNBERG.
As a dramatic soprano, Eva Johansson has concentrated on the operas of Wagner and Strauss - notably playing Senta in THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, Elisabeth in TANNHAUSER, Isolde in TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, Brünhilde in both DIE WALKURE and GOTTERDAMMERUNG, the Empress in DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN and the title roles of ELEKTRA, SALOME and ARIADNE AUF NAXOS.
She has sung in Israel, Spain, France, Austria, England, and Japan, with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, James Levine, Daniel Barenboim, Christian Thielemann, Valery Gergiyev, Simon Rattle and Christoph von Dohnanyi.
In 2001 she was honoured with the title of Berlin Kammersängerin. She is featured on the DVD of the Opernhaus Zurich production of ELEKTRA, conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi.
The cast for ELEKTRA is as follows:
Director Matthew Lutton
Conductor Richard Mills
Elektra Eva Johansson
Chrysothemis Orla Boylan
Klytaemnestra Elizabeth Campbell
Orest Daniel Sumegi
Aegisth Richard Greager
Claire Primrose receives more acclaim now in American Record Guide
July 6, 2011 | Author insider
Another phenomenal of review of Claire Primrose in the Taipei Festival of Arts ELEKTRA just published in the prestigious American Record Guide by Robert Markow, Strauss and Wagner specialist. Excerpts from the long feature article include the following comments:
“It had been meticulously prepared by its recently-appointed Music Director, Shao-Chia Lu. One could only marvel at the razor-sharp detail and wealth of dynamic nuances he drew from his orchestra. Lu, no stranger to the opera (he had previously led productions in Hanover and Hamburg), played down the convulsive side of the music to deliver a more cantabile approach; yet the big moments were thrilling beyond belief. (I actually found myself shaking on a couple of occasions.) The orchestra played at all times with a richly blended, cultured quality and seemed completely at ease with the fiendishly difficult music. There was never a raw sound or ugly note.
The title role was taken by the Australian soprano Claire Primrose, whose opening “alleins” sent shivers of excitement through the Hall. Here was a true Elektra voice, rich in nuance, emanating a sense of reserved power, capable of projecting to the back of the hall without force. In keeping with Lu’s lyrical approach, there was much beauty in Primrose’s delivery, yet no lack of power when needed, the gleaming high notes hurled forth with the ease and accuracy of a Nilsson.
It is unlikely any house in Europe or America has mounted a better Elektra in recent years, and I felt privileged to be there.”
The phenomenal reviews Primrose received are rare for Elektra. The many high notes are more difficult than in Brunnhilde, and to be compared in the same breath to Nilsson is great praise.
By: Terrace Barnes
Scott Curry – an exemplary and highly regarded Australian conductor and opera musician
July 6, 2011 | Author insider
Scott Curry is a Brisbane born Australian pianist, vocal coach and conductor. He studied piano with the Schnabel pupil Nancy Weir at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. He moved to Berlin 30 years ago and worked there at the University of the Arts. He has also taught at the Lotte Lehmann Academy and the Sydney Conservatorium. He has appeared in concert and worked with internationally acclaimed singers such as Doris Soffel, Jochen Kowalski, David Wakeham, William Matteuzzi, Merlyn Quaife and Anke Höppner. In Australia he has worked with Queensland Opera and State Opera of South Australia and performed at the Melbourne and Barossa Festivals.
As soloist, Lied pianist and chamber musician he has appeared at the Berlin State Opera, the Dresden Festival for Contemporary Music, the Berlin Festwochen and concertized on the Liszt piano in Bayreuth. He has conducted Baroque and contemporary repertoire at the Stuttgart State Opera, the Komische Oper Berlin, the Düsseldorf 6 Days of Opera Festival, the Rheinsberg Music Academy, the Herrenhausen Festival, the Berlin Chamber Opera as well as the German première of Prokofiev’s Maddalena, the Berlin première of Händel’s Amadigi di Gaula and the European première of Gordon Kerry’s Medea. As director of musical studies, repetiteur and chorus master he has worked on about 80 different operas in Germany and Austria.
Scott was appointed as the new Head of Music for the West Australian Opera with great fanfare in July of 2010. He returned to Australia to take up this appointment after living in Germany for 30 years, hoping to work with singers and share his extensive knowledge of German opera. West Australian Opera’s Artistic Director, Richard Mills said at the time of his appointment “We feel fortunate to have secured Scott as the company’s Head of Music. His musical skills and expert knowledge of operatic repertoire will be highly valued in this unique position.” . The Weekend Australian‘s Perth music critic, Mark Coughlan, said he had hoped Curry would help raise the musical standards at WA Opera.
Scott was heavily involved in the collaboration between the Western Australian Opera and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions production of a major Baroque opera for the Perth International Arts Festival in 2015 (see article on the proposed production from the 31st May 2011 on this site).
3 months into his probationary period he was acrimoniously ‘let go’ by the Artistic Director, Richard Mills in an operatic drama befitting of Wagner himself.
Curry had offered to help Mills prepare his work with Elektra and the Ring cycle, which Mills is due to conduct in a $16 million production for Opera Australia. One observer has suggested Curry may have assumed too much importance at the Western Australian Opera.
Scott is quoted as saying that he had a wonderful time in Perth with people who were grateful for what he was doing. He returned to Berlin at the end of May this year to work with musicians who appreciate him.
His departure leaves a significant gap for the Western Australian Opera, especially with Richard Mills being so busy with his composing and conducting commitments. It is a sad day when a senior musician feels threatened by a musical colleague he has appointed.
Another fine Australian musician sadly lost to our shores.
Claire Primrose also praised in The Wall Street Journal
May 31, 2011 | Author insider
Amended.
“The main singers were imported for the occasion, including Claire Primrose, an Australian dramatic soprano with a spine-tingling voice, in the title role. But the supporting cast was filled with local performers.
The orchestra, meanwhile, handled the music’s hairpin key changes with aplomb. At the opera’s climax, as Elektra dances herself to death, the music jolts between creeping unease and heart-stopping horror.
Thunderous applause, a standing ovation, and an amazing five curtain calls later, the audience drifted out of the hall.”
The Wall Street Journal
WAO Elektra will be big!
May 31, 2011 | Author insider
The planned West Australian Opera production of Strauss’ ELEKTRA to be staged in conjunction with Thin Ice and Opera Australia at the Perth International Arts Festival early next year is shaping up to be BIG. Below is the West Australian Opera’s information for potential sponsors.
THE ELEKTRA CIRCLE
In February 2012, West Australian Opera, ThinIce, Perth International Arts Festival and Opera Australia will collaborate to present ELEKTRA, an opera by Richard Strauss. This is a new production from Director Mathew Lutton (2010 WA Citizen of the Year – Youth Arts Award) and conducted by Richard Mills AM (Artistic Director of West Australian Opera, acclaimed composer and ‘The Ring’ conductor 2013).
This project is of such a scale that it requires donor and sponsor support to achieve its full potential. An investment in ELEKTRA is an investment in the future of the arts in WA. ELEKTRA is a bold, daring initiative and will demonstrate that West Australian arts companies can make important work for the world stage, can aspire to and achieve international standards of excellence, and can enrich the profile and identity of Perth. ELEKTRA sits among artistic endeavours which have the capacity to capture the attention and imagination of Australia and also enable Perth to participate in the global cultural conversation.
We invite you to make an important and lasting contribution. Your donation will stand as a testament which will enable this vision to become a reality. Invest in passion.
ELEKTRA PARTNER FOUNDING PARTNER: $50,000 +
CHRYSOTHEMIS PRINCIPAL PATRON: $25,000- $49,999
KLYTAEMNESTRA SUPPORTER: $15,000 – $24,999
OREST FRIEND: $5,000 – $14,999
AEGISTH GIFT: $500- $4,999
STRAUSS DONOR: $100-$499
All donations to support ELEKTRA are gratefully received. Donations of $2 or above are tax deductible. To make a contribution please call Development Manager, Fiona Simms on (08) 9278 8904 or click here to donate online.