To convey atmosphere, especially a disturbing one, productions use costumes, set, and special effects. However, the performance of Elektra was done without Ancient Greek rags, fog-machines, and didn’t even hand a backdrop. Instead, the creepy discord of the opera was conveyed with evening dress, furs, well-done makeup, and a stage shared by the orchestra and the cast. Yet, the horror was still there.
The performance of Elektra was never meant to be put on like an opera. It was raw, a concert more than it was theatre. But that helped show off what truly made Elektra chilling. The focus was on the music and the cast’s ability to act while singing. Most glaringly, the actors/singers sat and stood right next to the orchestra. For a moment I wondered if they would interact, a breaking-down of the fourth wall to convey Elektra’s state of mind. But no. They ignored each other, but their sharing the stage showed how their talents needed to go hand-in-hand. The words of the song with the melody is what made Elektra a shocking opera.
The actors/singers highlighted their talent. The one for Clytemnestra really put a fairytale-spin on the opera with her Mother Gothel/Evil Queen/Wicked Stepmother laugh. It honestly sent chills through me. Her screams of pain and agony off-stage cemented her talent, as for a second it seemed as if she was really being murdered. One nearly wanted to check to see if she was alright. The actress for Chrysothemis would scurry, wait meekly, and overall was the one truly innocent character. Elektra’s actress was calm, poised, until she got would reveal her character’s madness. She cheered at Clytemnestra’s horrid screams, smirked whenever she got her way, and thrashed her blood-red skirts in crazed dancing. These people didn’t need any Tim Burton-esque make-up or set to show how distorted the character’s ideals are. Elektra was a still smug woman who thirsted for revenge, no matter what. Clytemnestra was still a paranoid yet somehow more smug woman who cared only for herself. Come to think of it, the actresses highlighted something without anything but their skill: our protagonist and antagonist are very alike. It’s something that I noticed, even with evening gowns and fold-up chairs.
The music reacted with the cast. When Clytemnestra cackled, you could see the musicians quicken their pace in a triumphant tune. By being able to see them, you see how hard they work, and how important they are. To watch them work was to see how they made Elektra’s twisted desires shine. It is hard to describe how their presence made a difference. To be honest, it just made them known.The orchestra isn’t just the background, they are half of the emotional center of the production. During Otello, I barely looked at the orchestra. They were hidden away, therefore symbolically they were the supporting cast. The sidekicks of the performance. This concert version of Elektra challenged that sentiment.
All in all, this production showed what opera really is about: music and those who work with it.
The fairy-tale element which you describe is important, I think. There’s something primal about the original Greek story (the entire House of Atreus saga which we talked about in class), and that primal quality definitely comes through in the opera’s exaggerated expressions of emotion and its raw and expressively passionate music. A future opera that Strauss and Hofmannsthal collaborated on – Die Frau Ohne Schatten (or The Woman Without a Shadow) – is set in even more of a fairy-tale world, and similarly uses storybook relations in a strong and passionate manner.