| Charpentier, Marc-Antoine (1643-1704) | Médée | Libretto by Thomas Corneille |
| Opéra national de Paris | ||
| William Christie | Conductor | |
| Sir David McVicar | Director | |
| Bunny Christie | Set Designer, Costume Designer | |
| Paule Constable | Lighting Designer | |
| Les Arts Florissants | ||
| Thibaut Lenaerts | Choirmaster / chorus director | |
| Lynne Page | Choreography | |
| Julie Roset | Soprano | |
| Mariasole Mainini | Soprano | |
| Maud Gnidzaz | Soprano | |
| Juliette Perret | Soprano | |
| Virginie Thomas | Soprano | |
| Clément Debieuvre | Tenor | |
| Bastien Rimondi | Tenor | |
| Matthieu Walendzik | Baritone | |
| Julia Wischniewski | Soprano | |
| Alice Gregorio | Soprano | |
| Lea Desandre | Mezzo-soprano | Medée |
| Reinoud Van Mechelen | Tenor | Jason |
| Laurent Naouri | Baritone | Créon |
| Emmanuelle de Negri | Soprano | Nérine |
| Lisandro Abadie | Baritone | Arcas |
| Gordon Bintner | Baritone | Oronte |
| Ana Vieira Leite | Soprano | Créuse |
| Élodie Fonnard | Soprano | Cléone |
Possibly mythology’s most unfathomable character: Medea, the sorceress, betrayed by her husband Jason, takes revenge by offering the latter’s lover a poisoned dress and then killing her own children. Such a destiny, so often portrayed in the arts, could not but be embodied at the Opera.
In 1693, Marc-Antoine Charpentier premiered his only “tragédie lyrique”, based on a libretto by Thomas Corneille, at the Académie royale de Musique – forerunner of the Paris Opera – in the presence of Louis XIV. Three centuries after its creation, this baroque score of great orchestral wealth returns for the first time to the stage of the Paris Opera, under the baton of William Christie.
Renowned for his exceptionally articulate interpretations, director David McVicar transposes the action to the Second World War, thus reinforcing the heroine’s tragic character.
Reviews of Médée directed by Sir David McVicar
