I just came from the Kimmel Center – good lord, to hear this orchestra play that piece, a piece that remains flabbergasting over a century after the premiere – there’s one more performance, this Saturday – you should go. Yes, the surtitles were a mess, and yes, one of the singers went sharp every time she crescendoed – but there were some jaw-dropping performances as well – don’t miss it.
When the curtain fell after two hours of demonic intensity the audience sat for some seconds in stupefied silence until the “Straussianer” recovered and began to applaud…
– Barbara Tuchman describing the Elektra premiere in her book The Proud Tower.
