Last dance
If it is true that there are few respectable ways for people over 40 without small children to celebrate Halloween, a performance of Richard Strauss’ pioneering horror opera Elektra belongs on the short list.
Nina Stemme
68 pieces since 2010 — in 19 roles, at 20 companies, most often at Metropolitan Opera.
68
pieces
19
roles
20
companies
17
years
By role
By company
Metropolitan Opera 13
Wiener Staatsoper 4
Lyric Opera of Chicago 4
San Francisco Opera 3
Cleveland Orchestra 2
Vienna State Opera 2
Los Angeles Philharmonic 1
Mariinsky Theatre 1
Königliches Opernhaus Stockholm 1
New York Philharmonic 1
Opernhaus Zürich 1
Philadelphia Orchestra 1
Royal Opera House 1
Royal Swedish Opera 1
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin 1
Gothenberg Opera 1
The Cleveland Orchestra 1
Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 1
Washington National Opera 1
Bregenzer Festspiele 1
9 pieces as Elektra — stats above show all coverage for Nina Stemme.
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Twisted sisters
Nina Stemme’s Elektra always seemed the sanest individual onstage never quite giving over to obsession or hysteria with a good line in mordant sarcasm and contempt.
In the baroque midwinter
It’s been a rough winter in Chicago, and an especially rough one for lead singers at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Revenge served cold
Of course, Stemme had the character’s frenzied fury at her father’s murderers in hand, but she had far more nuance—at times this Elektra was seductive, sympathetic, loving, even humorous in her bitterness.
Dancer in the dark
Patrice Chéreau‘s Elektra brims with ideas beyond its eschewing of the opera’s standard, hysterical trappings.
Bleeding love
I have always wanted to see a production of Strauss’ Elektra that made my ears bleed.
Bleak house
The haunted Mycenae of Patrice Chéreau’s enthralling production of Richard Strauss’s Elektra had seized its viewers in an unrelenting vise that never relaxed even at its quietly shattering conclusion.
Aged in blood
Simply put, Christine Goerke is a stupendous Elektra.
So I married an axe murderess
I think the sturdier of you will enjoy Nina Stemme’s Elektra from Saturday night at Wiener Staatsoper.
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).
