Composer

:

Sergei Taneyev

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Opera

Compose Date

:

1887 - 1894

Publication Date

:

1900

First Performance

:

Oct 29, 1895

The Oresteia is an opera composed by Sergei Taneyev, based on the ancient Greek trilogy of plays by Aeschylus. The opera was composed between 1887 and 1894, and premiered in Moscow in 1895. The Oresteia tells the story of the House of Atreus, a cursed family plagued by violence and revenge. The first play, Agamemnon, tells the story of the titular king's return from the Trojan War and his murder at the hands of his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus. The second play, The Libation Bearers, follows Agamemnon's son, Orestes, as he seeks revenge for his father's death by killing his mother and her lover. The final play, The Eumenides, deals with the aftermath of Orestes' actions, as he is pursued by the Furies and put on trial for matricide. Taneyev's opera is divided into three acts, each corresponding to one of the plays in Aeschylus' trilogy. The music is heavily influenced by Russian Orthodox chant and features complex choral writing, as well as intricate orchestration. The opera also includes a number of solo arias and duets, which showcase Taneyev's skill as a composer of vocal music. One of the most striking characteristics of The Oresteia is its use of leitmotifs, or recurring musical themes associated with specific characters or ideas. For example, the motif associated with Clytemnestra is a descending chromatic line, while the motif associated with the Furies is a series of dissonant chords. These leitmotifs help to unify the opera and give it a sense of coherence. The Oresteia was not an immediate success, and it was not until the 20th century that it began to receive more widespread recognition. However, it is now considered one of Taneyev's most important works, and is regarded as a masterpiece of Russian opera. Its complex choral writing and intricate orchestration make it a challenging work for performers, but also a rewarding one for audiences.

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