This recording of Richard Strauss’s opera Elektra by De Nederlandse Opera (The Netherlands Opera) was made in November 2011 at the Amsterdam Music Theatre. In addition to an impressive cast, it features the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toonkunst Choir Amsterdam conducted by Marc Albrecht.

The Netherlands Opera (DNO) is the Netherlands’ largest opera company and is based in The Amsterdam Music Theatre. It has grown into one of Europe's most prominent and progressive opera companies under the leadership of artistic director Pierre Audi and managing director Truze Lodder. Since the 2011-2012 season Marc Albrecht has been the chief conductor of both DNO and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Marc Albrecht is known for his interpretations of works by Wagner and Richard Strauss, and of contemporary music, and has been a guest conductor with many top orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Richard Strauss’s opera Elektra received its world premiere on January 25th 1909 in the Hofoper in Dresden. Despite being based on ancient Greek mythology, the opera is highly modernistic and expressionist in style, and shocked audiences at the time with its raw, brutal and bloodthirsty approach to its subject.