The Met mounts Patrice Chéreau’s Elektra.
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| Elektra (Nina Stemme, right) does nothing to alleviate the fears of her mother Klytaemnestra (Waltraud Meier, seated) in a scene from the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Richard Strauss' Elektra. Photo by Marty Sohl © 2016 The Metropoltan Opera. |
When a great artist dies, his audience may have the chance to experience his final work performed highest possible standard. That is the case with Elektra, the final opera production by French Patrice Chéreau and the last of six new stagings put on this year at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Chéreau died in 2013, but this staging is very much his, with modern costumes, drab sets and a focus on the drama over the customary trappings that come with this Richard Strauss opera. This staging is by an all-star team: conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen in the pit (more on him in a minute) and a strong cast, including soprano Nina Stemme, mezzo Waltraud Meier and bass Eric Owens.
