Elektra (1989)
Recorded at the Vienna State Opera house in 1989, this staging of Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s Elektra is one of the glories of live opera on film, deserving of eternal availability. The DVD picture has great clarity, despite the darkness of Hans Schavernoch’s set design. Other than the cliché of a huge statue head, toppled on its side, the set manages to be suitably representative of a decaying palace as well as an imposing, theatrical space, dominated by the mammoth body of the statue from which the head apparently dropped, draped with the ropes that seem to have enabled the decapitation. Sooner or later most of the characters cling to and twist around those ropes, an apt stage metaphor for the remorseless repercussions from the murder of Agammenon by his unfaithful wife Klytämnestra and her paramour, Aegisthus. Reinhard Heinrich’s costumes capture a distant era while sustaining a creepily modern look — part Goth, part homeless, part Spa-wear.
Cast
- Claudio Abbado - Self - Conductor
- Éva Marton - Elektra
- Brigitte Fassbaender - Klytemnästra
- Cheryl Studer - Chrysothemis
- James King - Aegisth
- Franz Grundheber - Orest
- Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper - Self - Orchestra
- Richard Strauss - Self - Composer
- Wiener Staatsopernchor - Self - Chorus
Screenplay
Themes
Opera Grandeur and Dramatic Voices, Opera Stage and Dramatic Arias, Classical Music and Art
Keywords
opera
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Elektra about?
- Recorded at the Vienna State Opera house in 1989, this staging of Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s Elektra is one of the glories of live opera on film, deserving of eternal availability. The DVD picture has great clarity, despite the darkness of Hans Schavernoch’s set design. Other than the cliché of a huge statue head, toppled on its side, the set manages to be suitably representative of a decaying palace as well as an imposing, theatrical space, dominated by the mammoth body of the statue from which the head apparently dropped, draped with the ropes that seem to have enabled the decapitation. Sooner or later most of the characters cling to and twist around those ropes, an apt stage metaphor for the remorseless repercussions from the murder of Agammenon by his unfaithful wife Klytämnestra and her paramour, Aegisthus. Reinhard Heinrich’s costumes capture a distant era while sustaining a creepily modern look — part Goth, part homeless, part Spa-wear.
- Who directed Elektra?
- Elektra was directed by Harry Kupfer, Brian Large.
- Who stars in Elektra?
- Elektra stars Claudio Abbado, Éva Marton, Brigitte Fassbaender, Cheryl Studer, James King, Franz Grundheber.
- How long is Elektra?
- Elektra has a runtime of 1h 49m (109 minutes).
- What genre is Elektra?
- Elektra is a Music, Drama film.
- Where was Elektra produced?
- Elektra was produced in Austria.
- What are the themes of Elektra?
- The themes of Elektra include: Opera Grandeur and Dramatic Voices, Opera Stage and Dramatic Arias, Classical Music and Art.