Composer

:

Louis-Nicolas Clérambault

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Cantata

Compose Date

:

1710

Average_duration

:

18:32

Médée is an opera composed by Louis-Nicolas Clérambault, a French Baroque composer, in 1693. The opera premiered at the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris on December 4, 1693. It is a tragédie en musique, a genre of French Baroque opera that combines elements of tragedy and music. The opera is divided into five acts and tells the story of Medea, a sorceress from Greek mythology who falls in love with Jason, the leader of the Argonauts. When Jason betrays her and marries another woman, Medea seeks revenge by killing their children. The libretto was written by Thomas Corneille, the younger brother of the famous playwright Pierre Corneille. The first act of the opera opens with a prologue in which the goddesses of Love and Jealousy argue over the fate of Medea and Jason. The subsequent acts follow the story of Medea and Jason's relationship, including their marriage, Jason's betrayal, and Medea's revenge. The final act features the chorus mourning the deaths of Medea's children and the destruction caused by her actions. The music of Médée is characterized by its use of recitative, a style of singing that imitates speech and is used to advance the plot. The arias, or solo songs, are also an important part of the opera and are used to express the characters' emotions. The opera also features a chorus, which is used to comment on the action and provide a sense of unity to the work. Overall, Médée is a powerful and emotional work that explores themes of love, betrayal, and revenge. Clérambault's music is both dramatic and expressive, and the opera remains an important example of French Baroque opera.

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