There are many operatic adaptations of episodes from the Oresteia (most famously Richard Strauss's Elektra), but we will explore the work through two lesser-known operas. Vittorio Gnecchi's Cassandra retells the murder of Agamemnon in verismo fashion to be understood within the context of other Italian composers such as Zandonai and Cilea. This work is paired with Johann Christian Haeffner's Electra. Composed for Drottningholm, Haeffner's Swedish work is a quintessential composition of Gustavian opera. Stepan Atamian hosts.