Médée
- Opéra comique in 3 acts
- Music by Luigi Cherubini
-
- Libretto by François-Benoît Hoffmann based on
Corneille's tragedy
- Première - Théâtre Feydeau, Paris - 13 March, 1797
with:
| Médée |
- |
Julie-Angélique Scio |
|
|
|
- Berlin première - 17 April, 1800
- Vienna première - 1803
- Cherubini's Vienna version (cut by about
500 bars) - 1809
- Première of the Franz Paul Lachner
version (with cuts of Cherubini's score and the addition
of over 500 bars of recitative to replace the original
dialogue) - Frankfurt 1855
- U.K. première at Her Majesty's Theatre,
Haymarket - 6 June, 1865 with recitatives by Luigi Arditi
(with Thérèse Tietjes as Medea)
- Covent Garden première - 30 December,
1870
- La Scala première - 30 December, 1909 in
an Italian translation (by Carlo Zangarini) of the
Lachner version
Important modern performances:
- 7 May, 1953 - 16th Maggio Musicale
Fiorentino - First performance in Italy since 1909 with
Maria Callas in the title rôle conducted by Vittorio Gui
- 28 July 1984 - Buxton Festival - original
French version with reduced spoken dialogue
- 6 November 1989 - Covent Garden - original
French version with reduced spoken dialogue
- 4 August, 1995 - Valle d'Itria Festival -
First performance of the original French version in Italy
(see recordings)
- April, 1996 - Opera North, Leeds - Vienna
version in English translation
- 6 March, 1997 - Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln
Center - complete original French version (see
recordings)
Characters
| Médée wife of Jason [Medea] |
soprano |
| Néris her servant [Neris] |
soprano |
| Jason leader of the Argonauts [Giasone] |
tenor |
| Créon King of Corinth [Creonte] |
bass |
| Dircé his daughter [Glauce] |
soprano |
| Confidentes de Dircé |
soprano
mezzo-soprano |
| Le coriphée [Capo delle guardie] |
speaking
rôle [baritone] |
| Les deux fils de Médée |
mute |
Chorus
- SSTTB - Dircé's attendants,
Argonauts, people of Corinth
Recordings
Upcoming performances - Operabase listings
Libretto (in progress - Act I French text complete)
The links in the list below will take you to
the French libretto along with a brief English synopsis for each
number.
Act 1
Links
- Opera - L Synopsis (UK) of
the Italian Lachner version
Significant French Operas
Synopsis
Maria Callas - Medea
See also my
Callas and Barstow pages
Sources
- Battaglia, Fernando. Martina
Franca Marking Mercadante. Opera,
Festival 1995 issue, p. 115-116
- Folse, Bart. Notes on Cherubini's
Médée. Program Notes for Newport Classic CD - NPD
85622/2
- Loppert, Max. Médée. The
Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera. p. 79-81
- Osborne, Charles. Medea. The
Dictionary of the Opera
- Willis, Stephen C. Médée (ii). The
New Grove Book of Operas. p. 413-415
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