Composer

:

Hans Werner Henze

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1968 - 1990

Average_duration

:

74:53

"The Raft of the Medusa" is a contemporary opera composed by Hans Werner Henze. The opera premiered on September 9, 1968, at the Staatsoper in Hanover, Germany. The libretto was written by Ernst Schnabel, based on the true story of the French frigate Medusa, which ran aground off the coast of Senegal in 1816. The opera is divided into three acts, each with several scenes. The first act sets the scene on the frigate Medusa, which is carrying French colonists to Senegal. The passengers are divided into two groups: the wealthy and the poor. The wealthy are given preferential treatment, while the poor are left to fend for themselves. The tension between the two groups is palpable, and the situation is made worse when the ship runs aground on a sandbank. The second act takes place on the raft that the survivors of the Medusa constructed to escape the sinking ship. The raft is overcrowded and the survivors are forced to endure hunger, thirst, and exposure to the elements. The situation deteriorates rapidly, and the survivors turn on each other in a desperate struggle for survival. The third act takes place after the survivors are rescued. The survivors are brought to shore, where they are met with indifference and neglect by the authorities. The survivors are left to fend for themselves, and many die from disease and starvation. Henze's music is characterized by its use of dissonance and atonality, which reflects the chaos and desperation of the survivors. The music is also marked by its use of percussion, which evokes the sound of the waves and the pounding of the raft. The opera is a powerful indictment of the class system and the indifference of those in power to the suffering of the poor.

More....