Daphne
- Birkin, Kenneth. “Friedenstag” and “Daphne”: An Interpretative Study of the
Literary and Dramatic Sources of Two Operas by Richard Strauss.Outstand-
ing Dissertations in Music from British Universities. New York: Garland, - 321p. ISBN 0-8240-0186-9. ML410 .S93 B48.
Originally the author’s dissertation, U. of Birmingham, 1983. Genesis, show-
ing that the two works were planned to be a double bill, presenting a view of
peace among men and a view of peace between man and nature. Correspon-
dence between the composer and two librettists (Stefan Zweig and Joseph Gre-
gor), technical analysis. Bibliography, no index. - Gilliam, Bryan Randolph. “Richard Strauss’s Daphne: Opera and Symphonic
Continuity.” Ph.D. diss., Harvard U., 1984. 324p. See also Gilliam’s essay in
1720.Richard Strauss-Blätter3 (1972) was a special issue on Daphne.
Elektra
ASO92 (1986), COH 1990, ENOG 37 (1988).
- Gilliam, Bryan Randolph. Richard Strauss’s “Elektra.”New York: Oxford
U.P., 1991. xiv, 265p. ISBN 0-19-313214-1. ML410 .S9 G54.
Primarily a genesis study, detailing the two years of work by the composer and
Hofmannsthal. Also structural analysis and reception. Index. - Lesnig, Günther. “75 Jahre Elektra.” Richard Strauss-Blätter12 (December
1984): 33–64.
Chronology of worldwide performances, with casts. - Kramer, Lawrence. “Fin-de-siècleFantasies: Elektra,Degeneration, and Sex-
ual Science.” COJ5-2 (July 1993): 141–165.
A deconstructionist treatment of the work, seeking a “feminist understand-
ing.” Kramer finds misogyny in operas of the period but also “their possible
subversions of it.” In Elektrathere is a “striking instance of the simultaneous
workings of participation and subversion.” Strauss privileges Elektra’s subjec-
tivity while giving her “atavistic traits—animalism, uncleanliness, sensual cru-
elty, erotic perversity, amorality, automatism”—which deny her that subjectivity.
Apart from such observations, the article is useful for detailed micro- and
macroanalysis of the music. - Enix, Margery. “A Reassessment of Elektraby Strauss.” Indiana Theory
Review2–3 (Spring 1979): 31–38. ML1 .I4.
The opera is not progressive but “a conservative work for its time.” It is tradi-
tional in harmonic procedures and tonal syntax, with a clear tonal center. The
20 Leitmotivenare harmonically conceived, and most of the opera is diatonic
rather than chromatic.
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