Elektra
Modernism isn’t Modern anymore
Art of all types (music, visual, theater, dance, etc.) can be categorized in two ways: by a common style and/or by a historical period. Think of various styles of popular music today; Hip-Hop, Ska, Punk, Techno, R&B, etc. Various styles can establish rules and/or be dedicated to breaking rules. Each style usually evolves as a reaction to a preceding one. An easy way to think of the contrasting poles of this pendulum is “traditional” (establishing rules) and “rebellious” (breaking rules). This pendulum of style swings one way or the other over time which, in the context of music history, we call a period, or a certain span of history when one or more styles dominate the artistic scene.
At the turn of the 20th-century, tremendous changes were transforming Western society: industrialization, scientific discoveries, and, in particular, the devastation of World War I (1914-1918) and the Russian Revolution of 1917. Artists during this period responded to these changes by rejecting the lyrical traditions characterizing the late 19th century. This reaction has been classified as the Modernist period (not meaning “modern” in the sense of today). We label what is happening in the present as Contemporary.
The late 19th century emphasized Romantic realism in visual art, upper class sensibilities of the Victorian era in literature, and tonality in music. Tonality simply describes music that has a center key or tone to which the music seeks to resolve or settle (whether a single melody or several lines of music played at once, like chord progressions). Most
RichardStrauss
music of European origin and contemporary popular music are tonal in nature. However, in keeping with early 20th century composers’ desire to break with past rules and develop new forms of musical expression, Richard Strauss (RICK-ard SHTROWSS), the composer of Elektra, explored more dissonant, or atonal, music. Although many of Strauss’ other operas are tonal, the violent, ugly world of Elektra almost demands atonality.
As with Igor Stravinsky (The Rite of Spring), Strauss’ Elektra also reflects the Modernists’ obsession with primitivism. The primal themes expressed in Elektra, such as lust for revenge, blind hatred, and patricide, have been subjects of artistic creations since the Ancient Greeks. Elektra’s original source of inspiration was a play of the same name by the Greek playwright Sophocles, whose work was adapted as a new play by the opera’s librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal. With Elektra and other Modernist works, artists declared that the previous uplifting, idealized portraits of the human condition were out of touch with the harsh and cruel reality of the modern world.
Elektra
Cultural Provenance
The story of Elektra originated in Ancient Greece circa 400BC. In the play, a Greek tragedy by Sophocles, the characters are archetypal personages that were very familiar to most Greeks, as the names had been passed down over generations through oral traditions, legends, and myths. Often the
same characters were used by different playwrights and thus appeared in many different plays and stories. For example, Agamemnon, Elektra’s father, is one of the main characters in the Iliad by Homer.
It is important to realize that art often describes or comments on the cultural beliefs of the time. However, we should also consider how artistic works reflect timeless themes in human nature. For example, consider the issue of revenge (gang conflicts, Mafia wars, sectarian violence) and legalized homicide (capital punishment). Law in ancient times evolved from rules set down by royalty. The state (country) itself was embodied in the king or queen. Regicide, the murder of a king, was therefore extremely destabilizing to the whole society. The event which sets the plot of Elektra in motion is the murder of King Agamemnon. What should be done when the king’s own wife is the killer and, as queen, immune from prosecution? This crime was doubly condemned because it was also murder within the family--specifically, mariticide (murder of the spouse). Should Elektra feel obligated to take action herself as a vigilante since the law cannot touch her father’s murderer? What is the balance between justice and revenge? When do you cross the line from understandable rage into madness? And when is acting on that anger morally right? These are some of the issues explored in this opera.
Greek Tragedy
Opera is a direct descendant of tragic drama. It was created to be performed and intended to be experienced live. During the Athenian festival to honor the god Dionysus, competitions to write and produce tragic dramas were wildly popular. The author of the tragedy not only wrote the script, but also composed the music (accompaniment and songs), choreographed the dance, rehearsed and directed the actors and dancers, and designed the costumes, masks, scenery, and props. The performance included all these elements, and audience members also enjoyed nuances in the inflection of the actors’ voices, poetic rhythms and rhymes, and characteristic gestures and postures. Some of the most famous playwrights of the time include Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.
The playwrights submitted plays to the festival in a tetralogy (group of four plays), three of which formed a tragic trilogy and the forth being a parody. The Oresteia by Aeschylus is the only surviv-
ing tragic trilogy; it traces Agamemnon’s murder by his wife and follows Orestes’ murder of his mother in revenge. (Notice: these are the same characters in Elektra.)
The Greek theater was an open-air arena, as they required the sun to light the stage. Actors were only male and played several different characters in the same play; they wore masks to hide their own features and depict the different characters.
The structure of Greek tragedy alternated scenes of dialogue with choral songs so that the chorus commented on the action during the previous scene while the actor was allowed to exit the stage and change costume for the following scene. Most tragedies began with an opening scene called a prologue, which was followed with an opening chorus called a parados. Then scenes, called episodes, and songs sung by the chorus, called stasima, alternated until the ending scene, called the exodus. Compare the attributes of Greek tragedy to Shakespearian drama and opera and you will find many similarities.
Elektra
The Story
Place – Mycenae, Greece
Time – After the Trojan War
A king returns from war with a lover. The queen and her new lover (who happens to be the king’s cousin) conspire and assassinate the king. The queen believes this murder is justified because the king sacrificed one of their three daughters to the gods before the war. The two surviving daughters rescue their infant brother and send him to be raised in a foster family far away in order to protect him from the queen in her murderous rampage.
This could easily be the plot for one of today’s reality TV shows, or the lead story in a recent news broadcast, or found in a psychiatrist’s files. The plot is fairly straightforward and takes place in just eight scenes. As in most dramatic writing, it is divided into a beginning (exposition) of two scenes, middle (development) of four scenes, and end (resolution) of two final scenes.
Exposition
The purpose of the exposition is to “expose” to the audience information they need to understand (who, what, when, where and why).
Scene 1: A group of servants describe Elektra, her bizarre appearance and behavior.
Scene 2: An extended monologue in two parts by Elektra during which she relates the story of her father’s murder at the hand of her mother and foreshadows the time when his murder will be avenged. At the scene’s conclusion, she dances exultantly, envisioning the realization of her dream.
Development
The next four scenes are a series of confrontations between the protagonist, Elektra, and the other key characters in the opera. Sophocles employed these
Elektra’s Family Tree
Agamemnon* King of Mycenae
Cassandra* King’s lover
Orestes, baritone
Son of Agememnon and Klytemnästra
Chrysothemis, soprano Daughter of Agememnon and Klytemnästra
confrontations as devices to reveal the characters’ feelings and perspectives.
Scene 3: Strauss and his librettist, Hugo von Hoffmannsthal, used this scene to contrast the diametrically opposed personalities of the two sisters, Elektra and Chrysothemis. Chrysothemis sees herself in the traditional role of wife and mother and is terrified by Elektra’s violent aspirations.
Scene 4: This scene introduces Elektra’s mother (and Agamemnon’s murderer), Klytemnästra, who is given a surprisingly sympathetic portrait in the opera. In spite of the motives behind her actions, Klytemnästra is wracked by anguish and guilt, tormented by unending nightmares. This post-traumatic stress disorder (or punishment from the gods) is compounded by Elektra’s savage denunciation of her and the prediction that Orestes, Elektra’s brother, will kill Klytemnästra upon his return. However,
*Character does not appear in the opera
Klytemnästra, mezzo-soprano Queen of Mycenae
Aegisth, tenor Queen’s lover and Cousin of Agamemnon
Elektra, soprano
Iphigeneia* Daughter of Agememnon and Klytemnästra. Sacrificed to gods before Trojan War.
Daughter of Agememnon and Klytemnästra
Side Note: The lead role in this work is one of the most demanding acting assignments that can be given to any operatic soprano. It is a tremendous challenge to portray convincingly a woman so consumed by hatred and thirst for revenge that she descends into madness. It is also a physical and vocal challenge because Elektra is on stage for almost the entire opera (an hour and 45 minutes without an intermission). Part of the excitement of attending a performance of this opera is to see if the soprano can climb this mountain of an artistic task. Similar to a close competition in a sports event, the audience cannot achieve a collective sense of emotional release (the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat) until the end, a type of catharsis the Greeks of Sophocles’ time would have delighted in.
Klytemnästra is momentarily relieved when she is told by a servant that Orestes has died in a tragic accident.
Scene 5: Believing that her brother is dead, Elektra vows to murder her mother herself and, in her second confrontation with her sister, tries to convince Chrysothemis to go along with her. Chrysothemis refuses and withdraws in terror at the thought of murdering her own mother.
Scene 6: Having sent confidants ahead to report his own death (though it is a lie), Orestes comes to the palace in disguise and reveals his true identity to his beloved sister, Elektra. In the only scene that is not completely soaked with negative emotions, the reunion of these two siblings is one of the most moving scenes in all of Greek tragedy.
Resolution
Now the stage is set for the swift, violent, and bloody conclusion (also referred to as the denouement in script writing). In the tradition of classical theater, Orestes’ actual killing of Klytemnästra takes place off stage while Elektra, on stage, rejoices as she hears Klytemnästra’s terrified screams.
Scene 7: Up to this point in the opera, the tenor playing Aegisthus, lover of Klytemnästra, has been sitting comfortably in his dressing room. Now he makes his much delayed entrance only to be lured by Elektra and quickly killed off by Orestes.
Scene 8: Chrysothemis invites her sister to join in the festivities celebrating their mother’s death, but, having achieved her all-consuming dream, Elektra’s mind disintegrates, plunging her into another world. With nothing left to live for, she dances ecstatically and falls down dead.
Elektra
Music
Even more than the words of the libretto, the music reveals the thoughts and feelings of the characters. Composers such as Giacomo Puccini and especially Richard Wagner (RICK-ard VAHG-ner) used music to convey what the words really mean. These composers and their peers used music as a tool to create aural metaphors for people, events, significant items, and places.
As you listen to Elektra you will hear how the composer uses various techniques to expand your understanding of what is unfolding on stage. Richard Strauss uses very distinctive voice types, a huge orchestra of close to 90 players, and a variety of musical techniques to show us every emotional nuance in this intensely emotional story.
Note how he uses the music to show personality differences among the three main female characters: Chrysothemis, Klytemnästra, and Elektra. Elektra is sung by a big, dramatic, edgy soprano voice, and her music is angry, shaped by broken rhythms and sharp, angular chord progressions. From her very first monologue the aura of violence and cruelty is created, evocative of her murderous intentions. Chrysothemis, by contrast, is written for a lighter, gentler, more lyric soprano; she sings the most flowing melodic music of the three characters. This helps to convey her desire to be a wife and mother, not a bloody avenger like her sister. Klytemnästra, their mother, has the darkest voice of the three women. She is a contralto, and her music illustrates the torment she feels over murdering her husband. When she describes her nightmares, the orchestral accompaniment becomes extremely unsettling
Composer Strauss
(like a one act play) inspired by a narrative from a poem, novel, or painting. Another term for these works is program music, where the music is supposed to represent something else. The opposite is absolute music, which is not intended to represent anything in particular.
because at times it is atonal, losing all sense of being in any key. (Film composers have learned a lot from Strauss’ nightmare music using atonal passages to describe their most frightening scenes.)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) had a profound effect on many composers, not the least of whom was ten year old Strauss. Wagner’s music is often cited as the beginning of a breakdown in compositional tonality which was carried much further by Strauss, especially in Elektra. Not only did Wagner’s music influence Strauss, but many of his essays on art, music, religion, politics, and philosophy had a similar effect.
The orchestra music often features leitmotifs, themes associated with specific characters or situations and refer to them whether or not they are on stage. The most prominent leitmotif is the four-note minor chord motive associated with the four syllable name, Agamemnon. The murdered king is never on stage, but through that motif his presence is felt throughout the opera, even in the opening bars.
John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and E.T.) and Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd) are two famous contemporary composers who create film and musical scores. In their music, you can hear the influences of Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, and others, including the use of atonal music and leitmotifs.
Wagner was an extreme German nationalist and anti-Semite whose music and philosophy was celebrated by Adolf Hitler. Strauss, on the other hand, had more ambiguous connections to the Nazi regime. To this day, controversy remains as to whether Strauss was a collaborator or simply tried to survive in the best way he could while still functioning as an artist. This was further complicated by the fact that Strauss was appointed, without being consulted, as the president of the State Music Bureau in 1933. On the other hand, he also actively protected various Jews, including his daughter-in-law, at a time when such actions could lead to imprisonment or execution.
Richard Strauss
Born: Munich, Germany, June 11, 1864
You might say that Richard Strauss was born to be a composer. He started writing music when he was only six years old, taught by his father, and he continued writing until his death in 1949. His life spanned a very turbulent time in history and in the evolution of music. He married a soprano, which is notable in the fact that every major operatic role he created was for the soprano voice.
In addition to his operas, Strauss was especially known for his tone poems, which were one movement symphonic works
Despite all this, he was able to survive the Second World War and died four years later. Three years before his death, he declared, “I may not be a first-rate composer, but I am a first-class second-rate composer!”
Librettist
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Born: Vienna, Austria, February 1, 1874
Given Strauss’ association with the Nazis, his librettist for Elektra was, ironically, part Jewish, as were many of Strauss’ colleagues and friends. Hofmannsthal (1874-1929) was a celebrated Ger man poet throughout his lifetime. Strauss and Hof mannsthal together created seven operas, of which Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose) is the one most frequently performed today.
Hofmannsthal grew up in an affluent family that was very connected with the major artists of his time, so his childhood was primarily devoted to purely intellectual pursuits. By the age of 16, he was a published poet. His poems dealt with expansive themes such as the meaning of art and the limits of language and thought. He believed art could control irrationality and positively influence politics. He portrayed life in his poetry as theater and, ten years later, began to write for the stage itself.
In addition to Strauss, the famed film and stage director Max Reinhardt was a close collaborator. With Reinhardt, Hofmannsthal turned plays into spectacles (think of such musicals today as Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Cats, which have heightened theatrical effects). His idea of fusing poetry, visual art, drama, and music naturally led him to opera.
Like many of his peers, Hofmannsthal became an advocate of the preservation and restoration of German and Austrian culture. In many of his writings he expressed the hope that a “true German and absolute man, ‘a prophet,’ would appear.” It came true, but in a way more horrible than he scarcely could have imagined.
At the Opera House
You will see a full dress rehearsal, an opportunity to get an insider’s look into the final moments of preparation before an opera opens. The singers will be in full costume and makeup, the opera will be fully staged, and a full orchestra will accompany the singers, who may choose to “mark,” or not sing in full voice, in order to save their voices for the performances. A final dress rehearsal is often a complete run through, but there is a chance the director or conductor will ask to repeat a scene or two. This is the last opportunity the performers have to rehearse with the orchestra before opening night, and they therefore need this valuable time to work. The following will help you better enjoy your experience of a night at the opera.
• Dress in what is comfortable for you, whether it is nice jeans or a suit, keeping in mind this is an opera house. Please do not take off your shoes or put your feet on the seat in front of you. Live theater is usually more formal than a movie theater.
• “Dressy-casual” is usually what people wearunless it is opening night, which is typically quite formal. Any night at the opera can be a fun opportunity to get dressed in formal attire.
• Arrive on time. Latecomers will be seated only at suitable breaks and often not until intermission.
• Please respect other patrons’ enjoyment by not leaning forward in your seat so as to block the person’s view behind you, and by turning off cell phones, pagers, watch alarms, and other electronic devices that make noise.
• At the very beginning of the opera, the concertmaster of the orchestra will ask the oboist to play the note “A.” You will hear all the other musicians in the orchestra tune their instruments to match the oboe’s “A.”
• After all the instruments are tuned, the conductor will arrive. Be sure to applaud!
• Feel free to applaud (or shout Bravo!) at the end of an aria or chorus piece if you liked it. The end of a piece can be identified by a pause in the music. Singers love an appreciative audience!
• It’s OK to laugh when something is funny!
• Taking photos or making audio or video recordings is strictly forbidden.
• Do not chew gum, eat, drink, or talk during the performance. If you must visit the restroom during the performance, please exit quickly and quietly. An usher will let you know when you can return to your seat.
•Let the action on stage surround you. As an audience member, you are a very important part of what is taking place. Without you, there is no show!
• Read the English supertitles projected above the stage. Operas are usually performed in their original language. Opera composers find inspiration in the natural rhythm and inflection of words in particular languages. Similar to foreign films, supertitles help the audience gain a better understanding of the story.
• Listen for subtleties in the music. The tempo, volume, and complexity of the music and singing depict the feelings or actions of the characters. Also, notice repeated words or phrases; they are usually significant.
• Have fun and enjoy the show!!
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Washington National Opera
Founded in 1956, Washington National Opera is recognized as one of the leading opera companies in the United States. Under the leadership of General Director Plácido Domingo, Washington National Opera continues to build on its rich history by maintaining consistently high artistic standards and balancing popular grand opera with new or less frequently performed works.
As part of the Center for Education and Training at Washington National Opera, Education and Community Programs provides a wide array of programs to serve a diverse local and national audience of all ages. Our school-based programs offer students the opportunity to experience opera through in-depth, yearlong school partnerships: the acclaimed Opera Look-In, the District of Columbia Public Schools Partnership, and the Kids Create Opera Partners (for elementary schools), and the Student Dress Rehearsal (for high schools) programs. Opera novices and aficionados of all ages have the opportunity to learn about the season through the Opera Insights series, presented on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. All Insights are free, open to the public, and archived on the WNO website. Outreach to the greater Washington D.C. community is achieved through our public Library Program, the Family Look-In, and the Girl Scout Program. Our summer training programs give youth age 10-18 an opportunity to experience first-hand what goes into an opera performance through Opera Discovery Camp, and Opera Institute for Young Singers. For more information on the programs offered by Washington National Opera, please visit our website at www.dc-opera.org.
Credits
Authors:
Rebecca Kirk Education and Community Programs Associate
Bruce D. Taylor Associate Director, Education and Community Programs
Editors:
Michelle Krisel Director, Center for Education and Training
Stephanie M. Wright Assistant Director, Education and Community Programs
Catherine Zadoretzky
Editorial Assistant
Graphic Design: Deann Miller Bodega Creative