Elektra

Following hard on the heels of the release of Daniele Gatti's excellent if somewhat smooth-grained 2010 Salzburg Festival production (VL-9/14) of Richard Strauss's powerful one-act opera based on the tragedy by Sophocles, comes this more viscerally exciting 2013 staging from Aix-en-Provence. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts a searing performance of the compact 1909 piece, played with brilliance and richness by the Orchestre de Paris. The glorious orchestral work is matched by Evelyn Herlitzius's electrifying vocalism—and acting—in the title role of the woman who goads her brother Orestes into murdering their mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus because they conspired to kill Agamemnon, Elektra's father. The supporting cast is excellent as well, with Mikhail Petrenko (Orestes), Waltraud Meier (Clytemnestra), Adrianne Pieczonka (Elektra's sister Chrysothemis), and Tom Randle (Aegisthus) all delivering strong turns. The late Patrice Chéreau's staging is simple and direct, allowing the interaction of the characters to register intensely, while the spare gray sets and muted costumes enhance the mood of foreboding. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include an interview with Chéreau. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)