Les Talens Lyriques

Christophe Rousset

Les Choeurs de la Monnaie

Three years after the creation of Médée, Krzysztof Warlikowski and Christophe Rousset were together again at LaMonnaie for the revival of one memorable production whose staging reinforces the violence, tension and cruelty ofthis tragedy.Whilst this work by Cherubini is considered part of the 'opéra-comique' genre, it is only due to the presence of spokendialogue, which has been modernised here in the Polish stage director's interpretation.Written in 1797, Cherubini's faithful version of Euripides' ancient tragedy is one of the most savage and powerfulworks of the opera repertoire, relating the cruel vengeance of a wounded woman for whom infanticide seems to bethe only solution to her humiliation in love. As a continuation of Gluck's music, Cherubini's work is of boundlessemotion, at once a refined, terrifying and desperate portent of a tragic outcome.

The Cast :

Les Talens Lyriques

Christophe Rousset, conductor

Les Choeurs de la Monnaie

Stephen Betteridge, chorus master

Nadja Michael as Médée

Kurt Streit as Jason

Christianne Stotijn as Néris Médée's slave

Vincent Le Texier as King Créon

Hendrickje Van Kerckhove as Dircé Créon's daughter.