Les Talens Lyriques
The Radio France Choir
Music direction, Christophe Rousset
Director, Krzysztof Warlikowski
Sets and costume design, Malgorzata Szczesniak
Lights, Felice Ross
Dramaturgy, Christian Longchamp
Video conception, Denis Guéguin
Choregraphy, Saar Magal
Chorus direction, Stéphane Petitjean

Cast

Médée, Nadja Michael
Jason, John Tessier
Dircé, Elodie Kimmel
Néris, Varduhi Abrahamyan
Créon, Vincent Le Texier
Première servante, Ekaterina Isachenko
Deuxième servante, Anne-Fleur Inizian

Presentation

The first version of the opera was in French and contained spoken dialogue in alexandrine wrote by Hoffman, but it was translated in Italian in 1802. If this opera is not often performed especially in the original French version, it is because it was mostly unsuccessful and also because of the score ‘s difficulties. The eponymous role is very strong and heavy to perform because it has unusually strenuous vocal and dramatic demands. The opera requires very good singers with both vocally and artistically qualities to play the spoken dialogue. However this opera influenced the genre with one of the first great romantic character as later in Bellini, Beethoven or Berlioz’s works. The Champs-Élysées Theater will repeat a very beautiful production praised by all the critics that premiered in 2008 at La Monnaie Royal Theater (repeated in 2011). The Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski, seeking realism, offers a contemporary retelling of the myth and the opera of Cherubini, particularly through a re-writing of the spoken dialogues. The incandescence of German mezzosoprano Nadja Michael in the title role also contributed to the success of the rediscovery of this sublime and demanding score.

Production La Monnaie Royal Theater