This is the beginning of Richard Strauss' Elektra, composed in 1903, an incredibly intense Opera based on one of the most famous characters in ancient Greek tragedies. Elektra (or Electra) is the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, who ruled over Mycenae.

Here is the performance of it that Vocal Coaches (Répétiteurs) need to train to be able to do, singing all the vocal parts (if possible!) and playing a piano reduction of the full orchestral score (trying to give as complete an idea as possible of what the whole orchestra would sound like). Orchestral conductors are often required to do this too. It is a very challenging job, as not only should the Vocal Coach be a very skilled pianist, but needs also to know proper diction, languages (the basic ones always asked for are German, Italian, French and English, advising singers on how to improve their pitch and pronunciation, and correcting note or phrasing errors) orchestration and a good grasp of the full score and libretto (good sense of the plot and the characters) as well as how to sing while playing the very challenging orchestral reductions on the piano, usually modified and adjusted by themselves so as to give the best possible idea to the singers on what will be the sound of the orchestra once they start rehearsing together with it, which usually done near the performance, when most of the work is ready. Sometimes they need to also know how to conduct when it is asked of them.

As I found this work to be very interesting, and as it is also not that known by most people, I have decided to upload it. This piece in particular is very challenging, many days and hours of practice, and is usually asked in most examinations and in the first round of many competitions. Here I perform it in not too optimal conditions, unfortunately, in a very cold hall -8C- in The Netherlands and first thing in the morning with cold hands.

I do hope you enjoy it!

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