L'Edipo Operistico -- Enescu

Speranza "Edipo" is an opera in four acts by the Romanian composer George Enescu, based on the mythological tale of Oedipus, and set to a libretto by Edmond Fleg. Enescu had the idea to compose an Oedipus-inspired opera even before finding a libretto and began to sketch music for it in 1910. The first-draft libretto from Fleg arrived in 1913. Enescu completed the music in 1922 and the orchestration in 1931. "Edipo" received its world premiere in Paris on 13 March 1936. The first German production was in Berlin in 1996, in a production that subsequently traveled to the Vienna State Opera. The United States premiere was in 2005 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This dramatic musical treatment of the Oedipus myth is unusual in that it attempts to cover the entire story of Oedipus' life, from birth to death. Act III covers the story of Oedipus the King. Act IV overlaps in plot with "Oedipus at Colonus", though with divergent psychological treatment of Oedipus' final days compared to the original. It is generally considered to be Enescu's masterpiece. Roles: Antigone, soprano Creonte, baritono Giocasta, mezzo-soprano La sfinge, mezzo-soprano Laio, tenore un pastore, tenore High priest, bass Old man, bass Mérope, contralto --- Edipo, baritono --- Phorbas, bass Teseo, baritono Tiresias, basso-baritone Atto I: In the royal palace of Thebes, the people celebrate the birth of the son of King Laio and Queen Giocasta. Just as Laius and Jocasta, at the High Priest's request, are to name the child, the old and blind prophet Tiresias interrupts the festivities. Tiresias reproaches Laiofor having disobeyed Apollo's injunction to bear no descendants, and tells of the gods' punishment for this transgression: one day, the child will murder his father and marry his mother. The appalled Laio summons a shepherd and commands him to abandon the infant in the mountains so that it will die. Atto II: Scena I: It is twenty years later, and the child has survived and been named "Edipo", and lives in Corinto as the child of King Polybo and Queen Merope. At the palace, Edipo has dark visions, and declines to participate in the city games and revelry. Edipo has visited the Oracle at Delphi, which told him his fate, that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Edipo thinks that Polybus and Merope are his biological parents, and thus wants to flee the palace to confound the prophecy. Merope sends her counselor, Phorbes, to Edipo, who will not reveal the cause of his concern. He does say that he was once called a foundling. It turns out that Merope's own child had died at birth, and someone replaced that child with Edipo, whom the Shepherd had not the heart to abandon to the elements. Edipo becomes more intent on leaving Corinth, and then reveals the Delphic prophecy to Merope, who is aghast. Alone, Edipo determines to leave Corinto. Scena II: At a crossroads, the shepherd who spared Edipo from death tends his herd under a storm. Edipo appears, and cannot decide which road to travel. He even thinks of returning to Corinth, since for three nights now his frightening dreams have not haunted him. A lightning flash stops him in his path, and he thinks that the gods have set up a trap, and curses the gods. Just then, Laio and two traveling companions arrive on a chariot and demands the right of way from Edipo, whom he insults and strikes. In self-defence, Edipo kills his father, Laio, and the companions. When the storm breaks, Edipo flees. The shepherd has witnessed these events. Scena 3: Outside Thebes, the Sphinx, a monster in the form of a winged lioness with a woman's head, harasses the Theban citizens, killing everyone who cannot answer her riddle. Edipo offers to challenge her to save the city. The watchman tells him he who defeats the Sphinx will become the King of Thebes and can marry the recently widowed queen, Giocasta. Edipo wakes the Sphinx and answers its riddle successfully, which causes the Sphinx to collapse into death, but not before saying: "The future will tell thee whether the dying Sphinx weeps in her defeat or laughs in her victory!" Thebes and its citizens hail Oedipus as their liberator and new king, and offer him Jocasta in marriage. Atto III Twenty years have passed and during that time, Thebes has enjoyed peace and prosperity with Oedipus as king. However, Thebes now suffers from a plague epidemic. Creon, brother of Jocasta, has gone to Delphi to consult the Oracle. He returns with the message that the plague will end only after the murderer of Laius has been exposed and punished. The murderer now resides in the city, and will be exiled if he reveals himself willingly, but if not, will be cursed and left to the wrath of the gods. Creon has summoned both Tiresias and the old shepherd to the city. Tiresias says nothing initially, but when Oedipus begins to sound accusatory toward Tiresias, Tiresias points to Oedipus himself. Oedipus is suspicious that Creon wants to usurp him, and dismisses Tiresias and Creon from his sight. Meanwhile, Jocasta tries to comfort Oedipus, and tells of the circumstances of the killing of Laius, which disturbs Oedipus. The shepherd confirms Jocasta's story. From Corinth, Phorbes then arrives to ask Oedipus to succeed Polybus, and then reveals that Polybus and Merope were his adoptive parents, not his biological parents. Oedipus now understands the whole truth, and flees into the palace, realizing that the gods' punishment and prophecy came true after all. Jocasta is horrified at the truth, and commits suicide. Oedipus then emerges, covered in blood, as he has gouged out his eyes in shame and in expiation. Creon then sentences Oedipus to exile, and Oedipus accepts the punishment as the only way to save the city. However, Antigone, Oedipus' favorite daughter, chooses to accompany her father and be his guide. Atto IV: After years of wandering, Oedipus and Antigone have arrived at a flowery grove at Colonus, near Athens, where Theseus rules with the protection of the Eumenides. Antigone describes the grove to Oedipus, who foresees that he will peacefully die there. Creon then suddenly arrives to tell the news that Thebes is again under threat, and offers Oedipus the throne back. Oedipus refuses, to which Creon takes Antigone hostage. Theseus and the Athenians arrive and free Antigone from Creon. The Athenians drive Creon away and welcome Oedipus into their city. Finally, however, Oedipus takes his leave of everyone, even Antigone, and settles in the spot where he will die. Recordings Key to roles (‡): antigone/jocaste/sphinx/créon/oedipe/tirésias INA (Institut national de l'audiovisuel) archive (live in Paris in 1955): Monmart/Moizan/Gorr/Lovano/Depraz/Vessières(‡); Charles Bruck, conductor Electrecord EDC 269/270/271 (recorded in 1964 in a Bucharest studio, in Romanian): Sindrilaru/Cernei/Pally/Iordăcescu/Ohanesian/Hvorov(‡); Brediceanu, conductor EMI Classics 7 54011-2 (recorded in 1989 using Monte Carlo's Salle Garnier as a studio): José van Dam, Gabriel Bacquier, Marjana Lipovšek, Brigitte Fassbaender, John Aler, Nicolai Gedda, Marcel Vanaud, Barbara Hendricks, Gino Quilico, Jocelyne Taillon, Cornelius Hauptmann, Laurence Albert, Jean-Philippe Courtis, Isabelle Vernet; Orfeon Donostiarra; Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra; Lawrence Foster, conductor[5] Naxos 8.660163-64 (recording of an incomplete version given in Vienna in 1997): Monte Pedersen, Marjana Lipovšek, Egil Siliņš, Yu Chen, Davide Damiani, Ruxandra Donose, Walter Fink, Josef Hopferwieser, Peter Koves, Michael Roider, Goran Simic, Mihaela Ungureanu; Vienna Boys Choir; Orchestra and Chorus of the Vienna State Opera; Michael Gielen, conductor[6] Albany Records TROY861-62 (recorded live in Urbana at the 2005 U.S. premiere): Stefan Ignat, Ricardo Herrera, Bradley Robinson, Harold Gray Meers, Michael York, Ben Jones, Darren T. Anderson, Ashmani Jha, Stephanie Chigas, Jan Patrice Helms, Jennifer Proulx; University of Illinois Chamber Singers; Sinfonia da Camera; Ian Hobson, conductor Internet-streamed video (from La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels in 2011): Eerens/Petrinsky/Lemieux/Bork/Henschel/Rootering(‡); Leo Hussain, conductor; expected to be issued as a DVD in 2012 References 1.^ Bruce Burroughs, "Edipo. Georges Enesco". The Opera Quarterly, 9, 188-190 (1993). 2.^ James Helme Sutcliffe, "Multicultural 'Oedipe' in Berlin". International Herald Tribune, 21 February 1996. 3.^ Melissa Mitchell, "American premiere of Enescu opera to take place at Illinois". News bureau of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 28 September 2005. 4.^ John C. G. Waterhouse, Review of George Enescu: His Life and Music by Noel Malcolm. Music & Letters, 74(1), pp. 118-120 (1993). 5.^ Calum MacDonald, Review of George Enescu: His Life and Music by Noel Malcolm and of EMI Classics CD release 7 54011-2. Tempo (New Ser.), 178, pp. 42-43. 6.^ Andrew Clements, "Enescu: Oedipe, Pederson/ Silins/ Damiani/ Lipovsek/ Vienna State Opera/ Gielen". The Guardian, 3 February 2006. [edit] External links Vienna State Opera German-language page on Oedipe production Michael Magnusson, Opera Today blog review of Naxos recording, 20 April 2006. Categories: Operas by George Enescu French-language operas Operas 1936 operas Operas based on Greco-Roman mythology