Elektra is determined to avenge the murder of her father Agamemnon by her mother Klytämnestra – but will Klytämnestra destroy her first?

Strauss evokes his characters’ larger-than-life emotions through massive orchestral forces and daring harmonies. Wild, violent episodes such as the epic confrontation between Elektra and her mother contrast with moments of exquisite tenderness, as when Agamemnon’s son Orest returns to this most dysfunctional of family homes. 

Karina Canellakis – noted for her impressive ‘command of large-scale musical architecture’ (The Guardian) – conducts the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and an outstanding cast. Leading dramatic sopranos Ingela Brimberg and Karen Cargill perform the virtuoso roles of Elektra and Klytämnestra.  

This concert will be recorded for broadcast by our partners BBC Radio 3. Find out more.

The Anderson Opera Series, made possible by James and Morag Anderson, allows the Festival to bring internationally acclaimed opera to Edinburgh and ensures these unmissable performances remain accessible to the widest possible audience 

with additional support from the Embassy of Sweden in London