PLOT

   Elektra was the daughter of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and his wife Clytemnestra. She was descended from the cursed House of Atreus. Her father Agamemnon was murdered by his unfaithful wife and her lover Aegisthus soon after he returned from the Trojan War. From then on, Clytemnestra ruled Mycenae with Aegisthus; the daughters she had given Agamemnon - Elektra and Chrysothemis - lived with the servant women. Agamemnon and Clytemnestra’s son avoided death thanks to his faithful servant, who escaped with the child to the court of King Strophius in Phocis. Now Clytemnestra is alive and has power, but she is plagued by qualms of conscience and a foreboding of danger. Her younger daughter Chrysothemis dreams of a peaceful and happy life, of starting a family far from the Mycenaean castle and its curse. Elektra is the opposite of her sister - she is living in poverty but thinks only of revenge. She has buried the axe which was used to kill her father and awaits the return of Orestes from exile and the fulfilment of her dreams. The thought of another crime tortures her, yet helps her bear successive humiliations. She despises her mother and her mother’s lover. Clytemnestra seeks her advice when, terrified of the nightmares that haunt her, she thinks fearfully about their hidden meaning. Elektra, who often talks to the gods as she offers sacrifices to them, does not conceal the cruel truth from her mother: the only sacrifice which can silence her conscience will be the sacrifice of Clytemnestra herself, offered by Orestes. This prophecy is terrifying, but the queen is quickly reassured by her Confidante. The news soon reaches Elektra that two men have just arrived claiming that Orestes died in exile. Devastated, Elektra fruitlessly urges Chrysothemis that they take revenge together. Upon her refusal, Elektra digs up the old axe of the Atreides to avenge her father. Suddenly the younger of the travellers appears before her, and soon she recognizes her brother Orestes. He explains that he intentionally spread the word of his death so that he could come to Mycenae without arousing suspicion. After a moment of joyful greetings, Orestes grabs the axe and runs to the palace, and Clytemnestra’s terrifying scream is heard. Aegisthus, who has appeared in a desire to hear the details of Orestes’ death, rushes to her aid. Soon, his screams can also be heard from inside the palace. Elektra has achieved her goal, but she doesn’t share the joy of her sister and servants. She dances in an ecstatic frenzy, falling dead to the ground in the culmination.  

(based on Jan Kański’s Przewodnik operowy / Opera Guide)