The San Francisco Opera revived Keith Warner’s visually absorbing production of Richard Strauss’ “Elektra”, last seen here in 2017 [Review: San Francisco Opera’s “Elektra” – Goerke, Pieczonka in a Gory, Gloriously Sung Night at the Museum – September 9, 2017].
The opera is about a Greek family, consisting of a mother (Klytemnestra), her son Orest and daughters Elektra and Chrysothemis, now all adults, and her second husband (Aegisth), whom she married after the death of her first husband, Agamemnon, the father of Klytemnestra’s three children. The children are aware that Klytemnestra and Aegisth were involved in Agamemnon’s murder. The children plot their revenge.
Elena Pankratova’s Elektra
[Photo: Elena Pankratova as Elektra; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courrtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
This performance was the San Francisco Opera debut of Austrian soprano Elena Pankratova. She displayed a large dramatic soprano voice, capable of being heard above the full sound of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.
Pankratova gave a physical performance, that included dancing, and scenes with different postures, sometimes lying prostrate on a bench, or learning against a wall, or holding a large axe above her head.
Throughout the performance every action reinforced the image of a woman determined to have her revenge for her father’s death, either through her brother Orest or by her own hand.
Elza van den Heever’s Chrysothemis
[Photo: Elza van den Heever as Chrysothemis; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
South African-born, French mezzo-soprano Elza van den Heever, returns to the San Francisco Opera, where her immensely successful international opera career began. Her performance as Chrystothemis was extraordinary, showing the vocal power capable of scaling the heights of Strauss’ extraodinary operatic composition. The final duet between Van den Heever’s Chrystothemis and Pankratova’s Elektra was one of the most memorable experiences I have experienced in my seven decades of attending San Francisco Opera performances.
Van den Heever is both an alumnus of San Francisco Opera’s Merola Young Artists’ Program and a Adler Fellow during the years 2005 through 2007. I was present at her breakout performance, when she replaced another artist as Donna Anna AFTER the final dress rehearsal [Review: Kwiecien Excels in McVicar’s Dark Side “Don Giovanni” – San Francisco Opera, June 2, 2007].
More recent San Francisco Opera appearances took place in 2021 [Review: Beethoven’s “Fidelio”, An Excellent Cast for Matthew Ozawa’s Powerful Production – San Francisco Opera, October 17, 2021] and 2023 [Review: A Colorful Production of Mozart’s Melody-Rich “Idomeneo” – San Francisco Opera, June 14, 2025‘
Van den Heever is a versatile artist who excels in different styles, including baroque [Review: Handel’s “Rinaldo” in Chicago – Francisco Negrin’s Finely Sung, Fun-filled Fantasy – Lyric Opera, March 16, 2012 and Review: Santa Fe Opera’s “Alcina”: Beautifully Sung Enchantment – July 29, 2017], bel canto [Review: The Dallas Opera’s “Norma” – Vocally Outstanding, Dramatically Persuasive, April 21, 2017] and Wagnerian [Review: Nicholas Brownlee, Elza van den Heever Lead a Vocally Splendid Cast for Director David Alden’s New Production of “Flying Dutchman” – Santa Fe Opera, July 1, 2023].
See also Rising Stars: An Interview with Elza van den Heever, Part 1 and Rising Stars: An Interview with Elza van den Heever, Part 1
Michaela Schuster’s Klytemnestra
[Photo: Michaela Schuster as Klytemnestra; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Austrian mezzo-soprano Michaela Shuster returned to the San Francisco Opera for her second role, following her performances as Madame de Croissy, for which I had given her high praise [Review: “Dialogues of the Carmelites” Returns to San Francisco Opera in Olivier Py’s Dark, Theatrically Absorbing Production – October 15, 2022].
As Queen Klytemnestra Shuster portrays a character terrified by bad dreams, for which she seeks advice on how to end them from Elektra. Her unsympathetic daughter counters Klytemnestra’s overtures with such statements as “reptiles hang around you constantly’.
In Warner’s production, Shuster’s Klytemnestra is gruesomely murdered by beheading in a kitchen by her son, Orest.
Kyle Ketelsen’s Orest
[Photo: Kyle Ketelsen as Orest; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Wisconsin bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen gave a solid performance as Orest, returning to his boyhood home mysteriously after having rumors spread about him as having been killed. Klytemnestra’s household obviously believed the rumors to be true.
Ketelsen was a persuasive presence, using his authoritative bass-baritone for interactions with hie family, (including the observation that the dogs recognized him on his return home, but not his sister Elektra). He executes his mother and her paramour to the profound delight of his sisters.
This is Ketelsen’s third season at the San Francisco Opera following performances of Escamillo in 2006 [Review: Halevy Triumphs in Ponnelle “Carmen” – San Francisco Opera, December 3, 2006] and 2019 [Review: Francesca Zambello’s Theatrically Compelling “Carmen” – San Francisco Opera, June 5, 2019].
Ketelsen has been an impressive singing actor in the roles in which I have seen him, including Mephistopheles [Review: Lyric Opera Revives Inventive Corsaro-Perdziola “Faust” – Chicago, November 3, 2009 ], Leporello [Review: Mariusz Kwiecien Excels in Robert Falls’ New “Don Giovanni” Production – Lyric Opera of Chicago, October 29, 2014] and Golaud [Review: Imbrailo, Winters and Ketelsen Effective in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s Psychoanalytic Take on “Pelléas et Mélisande” – Zurich Opera, May 8, 2016]
See also: Rising Stars: An Interview with Kyle Ketelsen.
William Burden’s Aegisth and Other Cast Members
[Photo: William Burden as Aegisth; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Florida tenor William Burden returns to the San Francisco Opera in the relatively brief but important role of Aegisth. Burden reflected his character’s confusion and dismay regarding the return of Orest, whom he believed dead, and the mayhem of Orest’s mission of revenge .
An excellent performer as both a principal artist and a exemplar of character roles, Burden hss appeared in ten of the last 34 San Francisco Opera seasons. most recently as Captain Vere in the 2019 revival of Britten’s “Billy Budd” [Review: An Indomitable “Billy Budd”, San Francisco Opera, September 7, 2019]
I have reviewed many praiseworthy Burden performances, including his appearances as Alwa [Review: “Lulu” at the Lyric – Chicago, November 19, 2008], Orphée [Review: William Burden Triumphs in Gluck’s “Orphée et Eurydice” – Seattle Opera, February 29, 2012], Edgardo [Review: New Orleans Opera’s Spectacular “Lucia di Lammermoor” with Laura Claycomb, William Burden – March 15, 2015] and Laca [Review: A Beautifully Performed “Jenufa” by Byström, Mattila and Burden, San Francisco Opera, June 19, 2016].
See also: American Orpheus: An Interview with William Burden
Others in the cast, singing the five maidservants, were, in order from first to fifth, Georgia mezzo-soprano Gabrielle Beteag, Minnesota mezzo-soprano Katie Cheslak, California mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm, Utah soprano Mary Hoskins and Missouri soprano Caroline Corrales. Pennsylvania soprano Alexandra Loutsion was the Overseer. Canadian soprano Alexa Frankian was Klytemnestra’s Trainbearer. California soprano Sofia Gotch was Klytemnestra’s Confidante.
South Korean bass-baritone Jongwan Han was Orest’s Tutor. California baritone Andrew Thomas Pardini was An Old Servant. Texas tenor Chance Jonas-O’Toole was a Young Servant.
Maestra Eun Sun Kim and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, supersized at 95 orchestra members, was San Francisco Opera Music Director, South Korean Maestra Eun Sun Kim. It was a rousing performance, a crowning achievement of the 2025-26 San Francisco Opera season.
45 members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, led by Pennsylvania Chorus Director John Keene, performed as offstage voices, adding an additional element to the large orchestra and the 16 principal singers.
Keith Warner’s Production, Revived by Director Anja Kuhnhold
[Photo: the two levels of an Antiquities Museum, in which relics of the time of Agamemnon and his family are kept; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
English director Keith Warner created the production. German director Anua Kuhnhold presided over its revival. Slovakian designer Boris Kudlicka created the sets; French designer Kaspar Glarner the costumes.
Recommendation
I recommend the production to veteran opera-goers, and to the adventuresome, who wish to experience a powerful musical performance.