from the one act German opera
Elektra by Richard Strauss
Libretto: Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Role: Elektra (Electra), daughter of Agamemnon and Klytemnestra, sister of Chrysothemis and Orestes
Voice Part: soprano Fach: dramatic soprano
Setting: the courtyard of the palace at Mycene, ancient Greece
Synopsis: Elektra has just met her brother Orestes, who she thought was dead. In her joy, she cries out his name. She tells him not to embrace her since she is dirty and no longer beautiful. She explains that she gave up her beauty in order to work for revenge against her mother. Now that Orestes has returned alive, that revenge will come soon.