The sensation of the 2010 Baden-Baden Winter Festival was the performance of Richard Strauss's Elektra with the Munich Philharmonic under Christian Thielemann. Strauss's first collaboration with Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Elektra is a dense, raw, jagged cry for justice and vengeance. A one-act masterpiece inspired by Greek mythology, it shakes the audience to the core with its powerfully expressive chords, spooky waltz rhythms and mad dance of triumph. Herbert Wernicke's legendary production for the Bayerische Staatsoper stands out for its clear lines, classical structural elements and striking color contrasts.