Cherubini's Medea
Posted by Ricordi
Photo: Paola Kudacki / Met Opera
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2022-23 season opened with Sondra Radvanovsky’s electrifying performance as the titular character in Cherubini’s rarely performed
Medea, a role previously made famous by Maria Callas. The Met’s first-ever production of the work featured the use of Flavio Testi’s revised edition of Cherubini’s score, and was led by Maestro Carlo Rizzi, with stage direction by David McVicar. The opera will run until October 28th, after which Ms. Radvanovsky will take the production on tour with the Greek National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and Chicago Lyric. The production will also be available as part of the Met’s
Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.
Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera
Cherubini's Medea
Giasone, the legendary Argonaut from Euripides’ play, has sailed to Corinth after his quest to obtain the golden fleece proved successful thanks to the help of the sorceress Medea. He is now set to marry Glauce, the daughter of Creonte, the King of Corinth, much to Medea’s dismay. She arrives in Corinth and curses the union and is asked to leave the city. Medea pleads with Creonte to be allowed to say goodbye to her children, and when her request is granted, she has Glauce presented with a gown and crown as wedding presents. However, they discover too late that Medea’s gifts were laced with poison and Glauce dies as a result. Medea declares her revenge only partially complete, and murders both of her children before delivering a final curse and setting the temple on fire.
Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera
Flavio Testi's Revised Edition
Testi’s revisions were made with consideration to the original French libretto which consisted of spoken recitatives. The same care was given to the recitatives set to music by F. Lachner for the Frankfurt performance on March 2, 1855, and the Italian translation prepare by C. Zangarini for the performance on December 3, 1909, at the Teatro alla Scala. In Testi’s revised version, he took care to indicate the traditional cuts, and noted that the slight changes of both the musical and poetic text were made indispensable by following the cuts.
Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera
See our selection of critical revisions and elaborations
here.
Read the New York Times reviews
here.