Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Style

A periodical I read uses the following styles:
  • For the early 20th century classic by Richard Strauss, "Elektra" 
  • For the title character, in running text, the Anglicized Electra
  • For her mother, Clytemnestra
  • For her sister, Chrysothemis
I note that in my first Lulu, in 1989, Dr. Schön was sung by the great Hans Hotter, who was then 80. It was the only time I saw him live. In my second Lulu, Countess Geschwitz was sung by Frederica von Stade, in her only run in that role. I remember very little about Hotter, but von Stade, regal in a bottle-green velvet dress, was unforgettably vivd.

1 comment:

Henry Holland said...

That's absurd, spelling the names that way, that's not how they are in Strauss' opera. Is it the New York Times? :-)

That 1989 Lulu blew me away. It was still early in my opera-going career and I loved it. I still get chills thinking of the really loud 12 note chord after Lulu's todschrei.

And no, doing Lulu now as a 2-act torso + the parts from the Lulu Suite is wrong.