Oedipus Rex

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Work data
Title: Oedipus Rex
Original language: Latin
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Libretto : Igor Stravinsky,
Jean Cocteau
Premiere: Concert: May 30, 1927
Scenic: February 23, 1928
Place of premiere: concert
performance: Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris stage performance: Vienna State Opera
Playing time: about 50 minutes
Place and time of the action: the Greek Thebes in mythical times
people
Set design by Ewald Dülberg in the Kroll Opera House (1928)

Oedipus Rex is an opera - oratorio in two acts by Igor Stravinsky. The text goes back to the tragedy Oidipus tyrannos by Sophocles and was written by the composer together with the French poet Jean Cocteau . The Latin translations are by Jean Daniélou . The concert premiere took place on May 30, 1927 in the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt in Paris. The work was staged for the first time on February 23, 1928 in the Vienna State Opera .

action

first act

Because Oedipus freed the city from the Sphinx , he is elected king by the Thebans . In order to find rescue from the plague raging in the city , Oedipus sends his brother-in-law Creon to consult the oracle of Delphi . The spell he brings back is that the plague will go away when the murder of Oedipus' predecessor Laios is avenged. The seer Teiresias is supposed to help in the search for the murderer , but he remains silent.

Second act

Iokaste reveals the secret of the murderer: It is said to have been the son of her and Laios himself. From her story Oedipus recognizes that he himself is the wanted son and parricide. When the message of the death of Polybos, Oedipus' foster father, arrives, it becomes evident that Oedipus is not his biological son. After his mother and wife have committed suicide, he too draws the consequences: he blinds himself and leaves Thebes as a beggar.

layout

The two-act opera consists of a series of arias , duets and choir numbers. The texts for this are written in Latin. The individual numbers are linked by explanatory texts presented by a speaker in the national language.

The Latin language was chosen by Stravinsky in order to give the piece a mythical, evocative character. The music is simple and clearly structured. The main focus is on rhythmic stereotypes. In harmony, she tries to bridge the gap between classical and modern jazz.

Instrumentation

The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:

Work history

From around 1920, Stravinsky began to consider writing a great dramatic work. After seeing Cocteau's Antigone version in 1922 , he decided to work with an ancient material with the help of the poet. From September 1925 he worked on Oedipus Rex.

The (concert) premiere took place on the occasion of the 20th stage anniversary of the impresario Sergei Diaghilev . The singers wore masks and could only move their heads and arms, and only the heads of the male choir were visible.

The staging of the staged world premiere in Vienna in 1928 came from Lothar Wallerstein . It was conducted by Franz Schalk .

Other highly regarded performances followed, the most important of which are:

The opera is considered exemplary and influenced numerous composers, for example Paul Hindemith , Carl Orff and Arthur Honegger .

Web links

  • Plot and libretto by Oedipus Rex in German at Opera-Guide target page due to URL change currently not available

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Thomas Steiert: Oedipus Rex. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater. Volume 6: Works. Spontini - Zumsteeg. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1997, ISBN 3-492-02421-1 , p. 144.