Composer

:

Darius Milhaud

Genre

:

Musical Theatre

Style

:

Incidental Music

Compose Date

:

1915

Average_duration

:

33:17

Movement_count

:

7

Movement ....

Les Choëphores, Op. 24 is a musical work composed by Darius Milhaud in 1915. It is a part of his trilogy of operas based on the Greek tragedy, The Oresteia by Aeschylus. The plot of Les Choëphores revolves around the character of Orestes, who is seeking revenge for the murder of his father, Agamemnon, by his mother, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus. The premiere of Les Choëphores took place on June 13, 1917, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The work is divided into three movements, each of which represents a different aspect of the story. The first movement, titled "The Mourning Women," features a chorus of women mourning the death of Agamemnon. The second movement, "Orestes' Lament," is a solo aria sung by Orestes as he contemplates his revenge. The final movement, "The Furies," features a chorus of Furies, who are the avenging spirits of the murdered. The music of Les Choëphores is characterized by its use of polytonality, which is the simultaneous use of multiple keys. Milhaud was known for his experimentation with different musical styles and techniques, and Les Choëphores is no exception. The work features a mix of traditional tonal harmonies and dissonant, atonal passages, which create a sense of tension and unease. Overall, Les Choëphores is a powerful and dramatic work that showcases Milhaud's unique musical style. Its premiere was met with critical acclaim, and it remains a popular piece in the repertoire of modern classical music.

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