DARIUS MILHAUD: MÉDÉE (1938)
A tragic opera on the subject of Medea from Greek mythology.
Admission is free. It is highly recommended that you reserve seats for this event. Reservations can be made by clicking
hereComposer: Darius Milhaud
Librettist: Madeleine Milhaud
Specially composed electronic music interludes: Maggi Payne and John Bischoff
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Director/Concept/Lighting Designer: Brian Staufenbiel
Master Electrian: Kevin Landesman
Choral Conductor: Lucik Aprahamian
Project Director/Stage Manager: Laura Anderson
Associate Stage Manager: Saskia Lee
Créuse: Maya Kherani, soprano
Médée: Marnie Breckenridge, soprano
La Nourice: Mariya Kaganskaya, mezzo soprano
Créon: Eugene Brancoveanu, bass
Jason: Jonathan Smucker, tenor
Brian-Staufenbiel
Flute: Stacey Pelinka
Oboe: Denis Harper
Clarinet: Jeff Anderle
Clarinet: Peter Josheff
Bassoon: Karla Ekholm
French Horn: Susan Vollmer
Trumpet: Graham Taylor
Trombone: Brendan Lai-Tong
Sax: David Wegehaupt
Timpani: Kevin Neuhoff
Percussion: Erika Johnson
Harp: Carla Fabris
Violin 1: Roy Malan, Midori Nakamura, Marian Yang
Violin 2: Jory Fankuchen, Chris Whitley, Kevin Rogers
Viola: Ellen Ruth Rose, Evan Buttermer
Cello: Kathryn Bates, Adaiha Macadam-Somer
Bass: Stan Poplin Medea-Affresco-Pompei Orchestra
Chorus
Soprano: Carolyn Bacon, Sabrina Romero, Alice Del Simone, Katrina
Zoessender
Alto: Rachel Rush, Ruth Nott, Selina Sun, Lucik Aprahamian
Tenor: John Roevekamp, Jacques Desjardins, David Gordon
Bass: John Vitale, Brandon Jaico, Roy Eikleberry, Ben Greenberg
Story Background
Daughter of Aeetes, king of Colchis, Medea was the princess who fell in love with Jason when he arrived on his ship Argo seeking the Golden Fleece. Medea helped him defeat the fiery bulls and the men who arose when dragons' teeth seeds strewn in a field sprang up as armed soldiers. With her witchcraft she also put the dragon to sleep so that Jason could successfully steal the Golden Fleece. When Jason and Medea sailed away together to Jason's homeland, to slow the pursuit of her angry father Medea killed and dismembered her brother whose remains the followers stopped to gather in order to give Absyrtus a proper burial. Pelias, Jason's uncle who had usurped the throne of Thessaly from Jason's father Iolcus, was killed by his own daughters through a ruse perpetrated by Medea, thus necessitating her flight with Jason and their two sons to Corinth, where they had lived happily for some years, before Jason decided to abandon Medea in order to marry Creusa, daughter of King Creon. The opera opens at the time of the marriage festivities.
French Libretto for Médée
Darius had received a commission from the State to write a theatrical work. He wanted to write an opera about jealousy. In his mind, jealousy was the strongest emotion of love, and one that if it were expressed could lead to tragedy. Therefore, he chose Medea - a jealous woman of strong character, full of passion, who could not bear it that Jason, whom she still loved, had turned to another marriage. Her jealousy and pride were powerful enough to make her able to inflict upon her unfaithful Jason the worst possible punishment, by murdering their beloved sons. During the summer of 1938 while we were at l'Enclos, we discussed who might write such a libretto. His usual collaborators were on holiday, so Darius asked me to do it. I am not a writer, and shall never be - but I made the libretto. I began to read several versions of Medea - Seneca's and others. I drew upon his play and also upon those of Euripides and Comeille. I used a second woman character in order to have a victim, who would be a charming young girl, in order to have a variety of voices. I tried to do what I knew Darius liked–type and length of scenes and so forth. When I agreed to write the libretto, I vowed to make it all from other sources. One works like a dressmaker if one is not a poet. I took a little from everywhere ...
–Madeleine Milhaud