Jason and Medea
Euripides's Medea
Sunday 6 January 2008 13:00-14:00 (Radio 3)
Lucie Skeaping presents a programme devoted to Euripides's great tragedy of Medea, and the setting by the French composer Charpentier. Charpentier was over-shadowed to a certain extent by his contemporary Lully, and it is really only in the last few decades that this opera has been rediscovered. The music is considered some of Charpentier's finest, and one can only imagine the spectacle the drama created through its use of stage machinery and fireworks in the 17th century!
This is a repeat of the programme broadcast last Sunday. View details.
Playlist
All music Medee by Charpentier from this recording:
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie
Lorraine Hunt, Medee
Mark Padmore, Jason
Bernard Delatre, Creon
Monique Zanetti, Creuse
Jean-Marc Salzmann, Oronte
Noemi Rime, Nerine
Isabelle Desrochers, Cleone
Francois Bazola, Arcas
Erato 4509 96558 2
3 CDs
Act 1 sc i: Medee & Nerine
'Pour flatter mes ennuis' ( To assuage my troubles, if only I could believe you)
'Qu'il le cherche, mais qu'il me craigne' (Let him seek but let him fear me)
CD 1 tracks 9 & 10
Act 1 sc iii: Jason & Arcas - Jason confesses love for Creuse
'Que je serois heureux, si j'etais moins aime' (How happy I should be if I were loved less)
'Que me peut demander la Gloire' ( What can honour ask of me)
CD 1 tracks 12 & 13
Act 1 sc v: Oronte, Jason, Creon
'Seigneur, la Thessalie attaquant vos Estats' ( Sire with Thessaly attacking your domain)
CD 1 track 15
Act 2 sc ii: Medee
'Princesse, c'est sur vous que mon espoir se fonde' ( Princess, 'tis upon you my hopes are founded)
CD 2 track 3
Act 2 sc v: Jason & Creuse - Love scene
'Qu' ay-je a resoudre encore?' ( What must I yet resolve?)
'Quand son amour seroit extreme' ( Even though his love were to be extreme)
CD 2 tracks 6 & 7
Act 3 sc iv: Medee lamenting her fate. Prepares poison.. Chorus of demons
'Croiras-tu mon malheur' ( Can you believe in my misfortunes) to end of 'Je vois le don fatal' ( I see the fatal gift demanded by my rival)
CD 2 tracks 17-20
Act 4 sc ix: Creon's mad scene
'Noires Divinitez' ( Black divinites, what do you want of me)
CD 3 track 12
Act 5 sc iv: Air Funestre to end of opera
CD 3 tracks 17-22
