HK Phil takes a swing at electrifying drama Divas Susan Bullock, Dame Gwyneth Jones and a stellar cast of singers join the orchestra in its next opera concert exercise - Strauss's Elektra.

(From South China Morning Post)

Byline: Reports by Michael Taylor

THE HONG KONG Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO) kicks off the season with a concert opera performance of Richard Strauss's powerful Elektra, following up on the highly successful concert opera presentation of the same composer's Salome last season.

"Since Salome created such a big splash in January, we thought it was logical to offer the Hong Kong public the next opera by the same composer," said Edo de Waart, the HKPO's artistic director and chief conductor. "Salome and Elektra were written in close succession, and they share certain characteristics."

Both operas require nearly …