Œdipe (opera)
Œdipe is an opera in four acts by the Romanian composer George Enescu,
based on the mythological tale of Oedipus, and set to a French 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. Enesco completed the music in 1922 and the
orchestration in 1931. The opera received its world premiere in Paris on 13
March 1936.[1] The first German production was in Berlin in 1996, in a
production that subsequently traveled to the Vienna State Opera.[2] The United
States premiere was in 2005 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[3]
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.[4] It is generally considered to be Enescu's masterpiece.
Roles
• Antigone, soprano
• Créon, baritone
• Jocaste (Jocasta), mezzo-soprano
• The Sphinx, mezzo-soprano
• Laïos (Laius), tenor
• Shepherd, tenor
• High priest, bass
• Old man, bass
• Mérope, contralto
• Œdipe (Oedipus), baritone
• Phorbas, bass
• Thésée (Theseus), baritone
• Tirésias, basso-baritone
Synopsis
Act I
In the royal palace of Thebes, the people celebrate the birth of the son of King
Laius and Queen Jocasta. 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.
He reproaches Laius for 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 Laius
summons a shepherd and commands him to abandon the infant in the mountains
so that it will die.
Act II
Scene One: It is twenty years later, and the child has survived and been named
Oedipus, and lives in Corinth as the child of King Polybus and Queen Merope.
At the palace, Oedipus has dark visions, and declines to participate in the city
games and revelry. He has visited the Oracle at Delphi, which told him his fate,
that he will kill his father and marry his mother. He 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 Oedipus, 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 Oedipus, whom the Shepherd had not the heart to abandon to the
elements. Oedipus becomes more intent on leaving Corinth, and then reveals the
Delphic prophecy to Merope, who is aghast. Alone, Oedipus determines to leave
Corinth.
Scene Two: At a crossroads, the shepherd who spared Oedipus from death tends
his herd under a storm. Oedipus 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, Laius and
two traveling companions arrive on a chariot and demands the right of way from
Oedipus, whom he insults and strikes. In self-defence, Oedipus kills Laius and
the companions. When the storm breaks, Oedipus flees. The shepherd has
witnessed these events.
Scene Three: 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. Oedipus 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, Jocasta. Oedipus 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.
Act 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.
Act 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
• EMI Classics 7 54011-2: 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: 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: 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
References
1. ^ Bruce Burroughs, "Oedipe. 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 (1991).
6. ^ Andrew Clements, "Enescu: Oedipe, Pederson/ Silins/ Damiani/ Lipovsek/ Vienna
State Opera/ Gielen". The Guardian, 3 February 2006.
External links
• Vienna State Opera German-language page on Oedipe production
• Michael Magnusson, Opera Today blog review of Naxos recording, 20 April 2006.
