Médée (Cherubini)

For other operas called Médée or Medea, see Medea (disambiguation).

Médée is a French language opéra-comique by Luigi Cherubini. The libretto by François-Benoît Hoffmann (Nicolas Étienne Framéry) was based on Euripides' tragedy of Medea and Pierre Corneille's play Médée.[1]

The opera was premiered on 13 March 1797 at the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris. It met with a lukewarm reception and was not immediately revived. During the nineteenth- and most of the twentieth-century, it was usually performed in Italian translation as Medea, with the spoken dialogue replaced by recitatives not authorised by the composer. More recently, opera companies have returned to Cherubini's original version.

The long-lost final aria, which Cherubini appears to have blanked out in his original manuscript, was discovered by researchers from the University of Manchester and Stanford University by employing x-ray techniques to uncover the blackened out areas of Cherubini's manuscript. [2]

Performances and Versions

Title page of the first edition of the full score of Médée by Cherubini, 1797.

Several versions of the opera were produced and staged in Italian and German:

Title page to a vocal score of the 1909 hybrid version.

Callas Revivals (1953-1962)

Perhaps the most famous 20th-century revival of the work was in Florence in 1953, with Maria Callas in the title role, conducted by Vittorio Gui. Callas learned and performed the role within a week, to critical acclaim. The production was so successful that the Teatro alla Scala decided to stage this opera during the opening week of its 1953-1954 season, with Leonard Bernstein filling in for an indisposed Victor de Sabata and staged by Margherita Wallmann.
Callas performed the role throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, with possibly the most famous production being by the Dallas Opera in 1958, conducted by Nicola Rescigno (with Jon Vickers as Jason) and directed by the Greek director Alexis Minotis. This production traveled to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London in 1959, and to La Scala (where a few minutes of it were filmed) in 1961-62. It was in these performances that Callas made her last appearances in Italy.

Late Twentieth-Century revivals

The role of Médée is famed for its difficulty. Other famous interpreters of the role in the 20th century included Anna Caterina Antonacci, Dame Josephine Barstow, Montserrat Caballé, Eileen Farrell, Marisa Galvany, Leyla Gencer, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Nadja Michael, Maralin Niska, Magda Olivero, Leonie Rysanek, Sylvia Sass, Anja Silja, Dunja Vejzovic, and Shirley Verrett.

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere cast,
13 March 1797[4]
(Conductor: - )
Médée soprano Julie-Angélique Scio
Dircé, Créon's daughter soprano Rosine
Néris, Médée's slave mezzo-soprano or contralto Auvray
Jason tenor Pierre Gaveaux
King Créon bass Alexis Dessaules
Captain of the Guard speaking role Legrand
Two Handmaidens of Dirce sopranos Verteuil, -
Two children silent roles
Chorus: Servants of Dircé, Argonauts, priests, warriors, people of Corinth

Synopsis

Place: Corinth
Time: Antiquity

Act 1

Outside the palace of King Créon

Dircé is preparing for her wedding to Jason. Years ago, Jason had stolen the golden fleece with the help of Médée, who had betrayed her family and established a relationship with Jason, the result of which was two children. Although Jason has since abandoned Médée, she reappears and demands that he return to her. Jason refuses and Médée curses him, swearing vengeance.

Act 2

Inside the palace

In despair, Médée is encouraged by her slave, Néris, to leave the city. Créon then appears and orders that Médée leave. She asks for one more day with her children and, after the king agrees, she appears to be calmer and gives Néris two wedding presents to take to her rival.

Act 3

Between the palace and the temple

Néris brings the two children out to where Médée is waiting. Sounds of lamentation are heard from within the palace and it is discovered that one of Médée's wedding presents has poisoned Dircé. An angry crowd gathers and Néris, Médée, and the children take refuge in the temple. The two women reappear with Médée grasping a blood-stained knife with which she has killed her two children. The temple, to which Médée returns, goes up in flames.

Recordings

Original French version:

Year Cast
(Médée, Dircé,
Néris, Jason,
Créon)		 Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra		 Label[5]
1995 Iano Tamar,
Patrizia Ciofi,
Magali Damonte,
Luca Lombardo,
Jean-Philippe Courtis		 Patrick Fournillier
Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia Opera
(Live performance at the Palazzo Ducale, Martina Franca
during the XX Festival della Valle d'Itria, August)		 Audio CD: Nuova Era
Cat: 7253/54
Nuova Era,
Cat: 231687 (Reissue 2008)
1997 Phyllis Treigle,
Thaïs St Julien,
D'Anna Fortunato,
Carl Halvorson,
David Arnold		 Bart Folse,
Brewer Chamber Orchestra and the Chorus Quotannis		 Audio CD: Newport Classic
Cat: NPD 85622/2

Lachner version, in Italian translation:

Year Cast
(Medea, Glauce,
Neris, Giasone,
Creonte)		 Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra		 Label[5]
1953 Maria Callas,
Maria Luisa Nache,
Fedora Barbieri,
Gino Penno,
Giuseppe Modesti		 Leonard Bernstein,
Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus,
(Recording of a performance at La Scala, 10 December)		 Audio CD: EMI
1957 Maria Callas,
Renata Scotto,
Miriam Pirazzini,
Mirto Picchi,
Giuseppe Modesti		 Tullio Serafin,
Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus		 Audio CD: EMI
Cat: CDMB-63625
1959 Maria Callas,
Joan Carlyle,
Fiorenza Cossotto,
Jon Vickers,
Nicola Zaccaria		 Nicola Rescigno,
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
(Recording of a performance by the BBC at the Royal Opera House, 30 June)		 Audio CD: ICA Classics
Cat: ICAC 5110.
(Issued under licence from the BBC, London)
1967 Dame Gwyneth Jones,
Pilar Lorengar,
Fiorenza Cossotto,
Bruno Prevedi,
Justino Díaz		 Lamberto Gardelli
Orchestra and Chorus of Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia		 Audio CD: Decca «Double»
Cat: 452 611-2
1977 Sylvia Sass,
Magda Kalmár,
Klára Takács,
Veriano Luchetti,
Kolos Kováts		 Lamberto Gardelli,
Hungarian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and Chorus		 Audio CD: Hungaroton
Cat: HCD 11904-05-2

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Information from Operone website
  2. ↑ "Cherubini opera restored after 200 years" on bbc.co.uk, 14 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013
  3. ↑ Review: "Her Majestys [sic] Theatre". In The Times, Wednesday, June 7, 1865, p. 12, col. F.
  4. ↑ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005).[http://www.amadeusonline.net/almanacco?r=&alm_giorno=13&alm_mese=03&alm_anno=1797&alm_testo=M%E9d%E9e "Médée, 13 March 1797"]. Almanacco Amadeus (Italian).
  5. 1 2 Recordings on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
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