Luigi Cherubini’s Medea: A Fiery Opera
Luigi Cherubini’s opera Medea stands as a powerful testament to the enduring allure of ancient Greek mythology in the world of classical music.
Luigi Cherubini's Medea is an opera brimming with passion, revenge, and the timeless struggle against betrayal. Based on the ancient Greek myth, the opera tells the story of Medea, a woman descended from gods, feared for her magic, and ultimately driven to unimaginable acts by the man she loved.
A Woman Scorned
The myth of Medea begins with an act of betrayal. Jason, a prince from a distant land, arrives seeking the Golden Fleece, a treasure guarded by Medea's royal family. Compelled by a powerful infatuation, Medea aids Jason, even murdering her own brother to ensure their escape. She bears Jason's children and helps him achieve political power, devoting her life to his success. Both Euripides's classic play and Cherubini's opera commence with Jason's devastating rejection of Medea. Seeking further social and political advancement, Jason abandons Medea for the princess of Corinth. Consumed by shame and fury, Medea plots a horrifying revenge, murdering Jason's new bride and, most shockingly, her own children.
While Euripides's version of the myth is the most enduring, Medea's story predates his play. Significantly, earlier versions did not include the infanticide. Euripides's portrayal, however, offers a sympathetic lens through which to view Medea's actions. While shocking, her crimes are framed as a desperate attempt to reclaim her honor in a society that valued it above all else. The chorus in Euripides's play expresses sympathy for Medea's plight, highlighting the enduring struggles faced by women in a patriarchal world. Ultimately, Medea is rescued by her grandfather, the sun god Helios, and finds refuge with the king of Athens.
A Complex Compositional Journey
Luigi Cherubini completed his opera, originally titled Medée, in the late 18th century, with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman. While Cherubini was Italian, he spent much of his life in France, and his musical style aligned more with French tastes. Though Medea is his most famous work, its performance history has been complex and, at times, sporadic. Despite this, Cherubini was highly regarded by his contemporaries, including musical giants like Beethoven, Rossini, Wagner, and Brahms.
Cherubini's original Medée was a French opéra comique, incorporating spoken dialogue, and premiered in 1797 at the Théâtre Feydeau. Over the following decades, the opera underwent multiple translations and revisions. It was translated into German twice in the early 19th century, then subsequently shortened. In 1865, German composer Franz Lachner composed recitatives to replace the spoken dialogue in the shortened version. Finally, in 1909, Teatro alla Scala translated the score into Italian. This Italian version, with Lachner's recitatives, is the version most commonly performed today. The Medea we experience now is a fascinating amalgamation of Cherubini's original vision, filtered through various translations, revisions, and additions.
Sophie
Cherubini and his Tragic Heroine
Despite Cherubini's musical renown, surprisingly little is known about his personal life. He was a private individual, and while he enjoyed the respect of musical luminaries and had connections to French royalty, few of his works have achieved lasting mainstream popularity. This lack of biographical detail makes it difficult to ascertain precisely why Cherubini chose to compose Medée. However, some parallels can be drawn between the composer and his leading lady. Both were, in a sense, outsiders. Cherubini left Italy for France, seeking a more conducive environment for his artistic sensibilities, while Medea, a foreign princess, found herself isolated and betrayed in a strange land. Both also possessed exceptional talents—Cherubini a musical prodigy, Medea a powerful sorceress—and perhaps both felt constrained by the expectations placed upon them.
Cherubini's appointment as director of the Théâtre Feydeau in the late 1700s afforded him greater artistic freedom and access to resources. Medée, composed during this period, reflects this newfound freedom and a bolder exploration of his compositional capabilities.
The Diva and the Demanding Role
The role of Medea demands a true opera diva. The vocal challenges are formidable, and few singers possess the necessary combination of technical skill and dramatic intensity. Maria Callas, the legendary Greek-American soprano, is indelibly linked with the role. Her performances in the 1950s and 60s, captured in both live recordings and studio sessions, brought Cherubini's opera to a wider audience and cemented her status as the definitive Medea. Callas's intense acting and vocal prowess perfectly embodied the tormented sorceress, setting a high bar for future performers.
The connection between Callas and Medea extended beyond the stage. The night before a performance in Dallas, Callas learned of her dismissal from the Metropolitan Opera. Undeterred, she delivered a breathtaking performance, echoing Medea's resilience in the face of betrayal.
Contemporary sopranos like Sondra Radvanovsky and Sonya Yoncheva have taken up the mantle of Medea, earning acclaim for their powerful voices and compelling stage presence. Radvanovsky's 2022-2023 Metropolitan Opera debut in the role was a triumph, showcasing her dramatic intensity and vocal mastery. Her performance, broadcast worldwide as part of the Met's Live in HD series, introduced a new generation to the power of Cherubini's Medea. These contemporary performers, while inevitably compared to Callas, bring their own unique interpretations to the role, ensuring that Medea's story continues to resonate with audiences.
Sophie
The Enduring Power of Medea
Medea's enduring appeal stems from her complex character and the timeless themes explored in her story. As the granddaughter of the sun god Helios, she possesses inherent power, yet she remains vulnerable to the same betrayals and societal pressures as any mortal woman. Her famous aria, "Io son Medea" ("I am Medea"), in Act 3, encapsulates her defiance and determination. In a genre often dominated by damsels in distress, Medea is a force of nature. She chooses revenge over passive acceptance, challenging societal norms and embracing her own agency.
Medea's story continues to resonate with audiences because it speaks to universal themes of betrayal, loss, and the struggle for justice. Euripides’s arguably feminist portrayal of Medea likely resonated with women of his time and foreshadowed the empathy she would evoke in generations to come. Cherubini, recognizing the power of this tragic figure, breathed new life into the ancient myth through his music, ensuring that Medea's story, and its powerful message of female agency in the face of adversity, continues to captivate and inspire.
