Christine Goerke is an earth-shattering Elektra in David Robertson’s revelatory take on Strauss’ Greek tragedy.

Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

February 22, 2014

Richard Strauss’s Elektra is one of the biggest beasts in opera, maybe not in terms of length, nor in cast size, but certainly in its orchestral forces and therefore in the demands it places on its singers – in particular, the title role is on stage for the full two-hours without a break. It tends to be one of those parts that sopranos tackle after Wagner, such is the stamina and volume required to push the sound out over 110 instrumentalists. Not only that, Hofmannsthal’s Freudian translation of Sophocles with its fin-de-siècle imagery of a society decaying from the inside out, demands an actor also capable of inhabiting one of the most emotionally intense and draining psychological characters in all opera. Let me say from the outset – American soprano Christine Goerke is all of that and more.

That David Robertson chose it as his second outing as Chief Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is a mark of his ambition. That he chose to add to the mix eight dancers from Sydney Dance Company and proceed to...