Electra

Baroque Opera by  J C F Haeffner

This recording made a great contribution to the history of Swedish music. The composer of Electra, Johann Christian Friedrich Haeffner, can be considered one of the most important representatives of Swedish music through the ages.

Migrating from Germany to Sweden at the age of 22 in 1781, he spent 27 years in Stockholm as Director of the Royal orchestra, and 25 years in Uppsala where his was appointed Director Musices at the university. In Sweden he is mainly known for his chorale book and for his many settings for male voice choir.

Electra was written by the young Haeffner for a performance at the Drottningholm Court Theatre on 22nd July 1787, the queen’s name-day. This music then remained silent for 200 years, due to rivalries within the Stockholm music establishment. The opera was revived by conductor Thomas Schuback 1991 for the Drottningholm Opera season.

This unique studio recording of a remarkable Swedish opera, widely mentioned in the sources but never heard, contains most of what an 18th century opera in the Gluckian spirit can offer; careful declamation, with rare focus on the inflections of the Swedish language, arias, duets, ensembles and not least, magnificent choruses.The singers are: Hillevi Martinpelto, Peter Mattei, Helle Hinz, Mikael Samuelson. The Swedish Radio Choir, Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble conducted by Thomas Schuback.

Read more
Show playlist
    • CD 1
      • Act I
        • 1.
          Uvertyr
          4'13
        • 2.
          Scen 1
          5'46
        • 3.
          Scen 2
          2'18
        • 4.
          Scen 3
          6'21
        • 5.
          Scen 4
          1'48
        • 6.
          Scen 5
          5'11
        • 7.
          Scen 6
          11'19
    • CD 2
      • Act II
        • 1.
          Scen 1
          8'59
        • 2.
          Scen 2
          2'08
        • 3.
          Scen 4
          0'34
        • 4.
          Scen 5
          1'06
        • 5.
          Scen 6
          0'52
        • 6.
          Scen 7
          4'24
        • 7.
          Scen 8
          6'04
      • Act III
        • 8.
          Scen 1
          5'10
        • 9.
          Scen 2
          7'52
        • 10.
          Scen 3
          3'26
        • 11.
          Scen 5
          6'27
        • 12.
          Scen 6
          3'37
  • Total playtime 87'56

Compact Disc // CAP 22030 // Opera // Releasedate: 1 January, 1993