'Elektra' a bloody good show, electrifying opener for Lyric















So fearful of, yet so dependent on, her older sister, Chrysothemis yearns to escape the poisonous palace atmosphere, find a husband and bear children. American soprano Emily Magee, a star alumna of Lyric's Ryan Opera Center who sings all over Europe these days, brought a wealth of gleaming, womanly tone to the role, adding to the thrills of the Elektra-Chrysothemis duet.

As the five serving maids who jabber on about Elektra's bizarre behavior, Victoria Livengood and Rebecca Nash make a trusty ensemble alongside Ryan Center members J'nai Bridges, Cecelia Hall and Tracy Cantin. Other center apprentices rounding out the supporting cast include Kiri Deonarine, Emily Birsan and Bernard Holcomb.

Davis encourages his accomplished musicians to let go in this frenzied score while keeping everything under exacting control. Even the most thickly scored passages carry a lucid finish. This is a high-water mark in Sir Andrew's odyssey through the Strauss operas at Lyric.

A gray, claustrophobic atmosphere is evoked by ruined palace walls and columns that recall images from bombed-out Kosovo. A lurid, reddish glow emanates from the smoky antechamber beyond. Crooked stone stairs flanked by piles of rubble lead to a large subterranean cistern, placed at center stage where it threatens to swallow the singers and extras (which might be the point). Serving women with shaved heads, others wearing burqas, mingle in a courtyard that has seen much better days. A beautiful ugliness prevails. Just like in Strauss' miraculous score.


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