MUSIC: Richard Strauss 'Elektra', Salzburg 1957 (Borkh, Della Casa, Madeira, Mitropoulos)

Richard Strauss 'Elektra', Salzburg 1957
(Borkh, Della Casa, Madeira, Mitropoulos)

ELEKTRA

One Act Tragedy

by Richard Strauss

Inge Borkh (1921-2018)
as Elektra

Protagonist of the opera

Child of King Agamemnon

Lisa della Casa (1919-2012)
as Chrysothemis

Elektra's sister

Jean Madeira (1918-1972)
as Queen Klytemnestra

Wife of Agamemnon

Mother of Elektra, Chrysothemis and Orest

Kurt Bohme (1908-1989)
as Orest

Elektra's lost brother, thought to be long dead

Max Lorenz (1901-1975)
as Aegisth

The lover of Klytemnestra

Others:

Alois Pernerstorfer

Anny Felbermayr

Karol Loraine

Erich Majkut

Georg Littasy

Audrey Gerber

Five Maids:

Kerstin Meyer

Sonja Draksler

Sigelinde Wagner

Marilyn Horne

Lisa Otto

Choir of the Vienna State Opera

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Dmitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960), Conductor

Live from Salzburg Festival

07 August 1957

Digitally Remastered 1997

Released under Orfeo D'or

Inge Borkh, Elektra

Lisa della Casa, Chrysothemis

Jean Madeira, Klytemnestra

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Elektra's Monologue

"Just as stars scatter into they night sky, 

just as overturned jars violently pour out its content -- 

so will blood flow from their throats! 

When the deed has been done, 

then we will dance around their dead bodies!" 

~Elektra

Elektra Confronts Klytemnestra

"Mother is having bad dreams again.

They said that she screams in her sleep

as if being strangled to death.

Sister, stay out of her way today.

When she is being paranoid,

that is when you should fear her the most."

~Chrysothemis to Elektra

"I've been having sleepless nights. 

Do you know any remedy for bad dreams? 

I must find out whose blood must flow

so that I can sleep peacefully again!"

~Klytemnestra to Elektra

"What blood must flow?

Blood from your own neck,

when the hunter catches you!

He will chase you relentlessly around the house.

Then I, who sent the hunter to catch you, 

I stand there and watch you die. 

You will have no more nightmares, 

and everyone in the house will rejoice!" 

~Elektra replies to Klytemnestra

Elektra's Death

"I forgot to give him the axe 

with which to slay our mother. 

There are no gods in heaven!"

"Let those who are happy do as I do --

be silent, and DANCE!"

~Elektra

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This blog post originally published

17 December 2012

Re-written and re-uploaded

25 August 2019

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