MUSIC: Birgit Nilsson as Elektra (1980, 1982)

Birgit Nilsson as Elektra (1980, 1982)

ELEKTRA

Opera by

Richard Strauss

Birgit Nilsson, Elektra

Leonie Rysanek, Chrysothemis
Mignon Dunn, Klytemnestra
Robert Nagy, Aegisth

Metropolitan Opera NY
James Levine

Leonie Rysanek had a burning fever during this performance. She went on to perform so that the televised performance of this Elektra would push through. This is an important document showing Birgit Nilsson as Elektra. The only other video that you can see her as Elektra is in 1982, also shown below.

Birgit Nilsson's final appearance

This video documents Birgit Nilsson's final opera appearance in 1982, here as Elektra. She retires four days afterward. Gwyneth Jones was Chrysothemis here. In 1983, GJ would claim the throne as the next great Elektra.

From Chrysothemis to Elektra to Klytemnestra...

This section features Leonie Rysanek and Gwyneth Jones, who were both Elektra's sister Chrysothemis in the videos above. Both ladies had the honor of being recognized as having sung all three leading ladies of this opera -- first as Chrysothemis, then as Elektra, and later as Klytemnestra. That is a demanding and difficult feat!

Leonie Rysanek declined the title role of Elektra for fear of ruining her voice, only performing it once for a movie film. She was best known as Chrysothemis next to many great Elektras like Birgit Nilsson, Astrid Varnay and Ursula Schroeder-Feinen. In her later years, she had a second career as one of the greatest Klytemnestra's around, even crossing path with Gwyneth Jones as her Elektra (Geneva 1990;  Orange Theater 1991).

Gwyneth Jones graduated from Chrysothemis to being one of the greatest Elektras of the 1980s-1990s, before switching to Klytemnestra in the 2000s. She mentions in one of her interviews that she was the fourth maid in this opera around the 1960s, even offered the role of Elektra by Rudolf Kempe around the same period but declined.

[The greatest Elektras include: Birgit Nilsson, Gertrude Grob-Prandl, Ursula Schroder-Feinen, Astrid Varnay, Gwyneth Jones, Leonie Rysanek, Inge Borkh.]

Leonie Rysanek as Klytemnestra
Teatro Colon Argentina, 1995

Gwyneth Jones as Klytemnestra
Hong Kong, 2005





Gwyneth Jones as Elektra
Leonie Rysanek as Klytemnestra
Orange Theater France, 1991

Leonie Rysanek as Elektra

Astrid Varnay as Klytemnestra

Movie Film, 1981

Astrid Varnay as Elektra
Leonie Rysanek as Chrysothemis
Cologne Broadcast Tapes, 1953





Birgit Nilsson as Elektra
Leonie Rysanek as Chrysothemis
Astrid Varnay as Klytemnestra
Paris France, 1975
(Three great Elektras in the same stage!!!)

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