Maia Jannele [SeattlePI.com, 25 October 2008]
Richard Strauss’ opera Elektra based on Sophocles’ ancient Greek tragedy, is a harrowing portrayal of betrayal, revenge, and despair. The tormented Elektra paces the castle floors nightly, calling out to her deceased father’s spirit in a rage. The murder of King Agamemnon, orchestrated by his wife, Klytamnestra, and her lover, Aegisth, sends his eldest daughter into a demented state. She recounts the details of his bloody murder and decries revenge upon his assassins.