The Death of Imagination

I can say that I got caught up in it. I think it's hard to be sympathetic towards Elektra, and that's part of the point. In that way it's very daring. Even her brother, who's on board with the whole revenge thing, is a little taken aback by his crazy sister. To some extent, I think this opera is more of an intellectual than an emotional exercise. The playbill made a big deal about how Hofmannsthal was influenced by Freud, but I think the whole opera works as a study of how everyone affected by the murder (including the murderers) is dealing with it: Klytemnestra feels rotten inside, Elektra is obsessed, Chrysothemis wants to bring new life into the world, etc. That's what grabbed me (plus the great music).