Prague National Theatre tickets 19 February 2025 - Médée | GoComGo.com

Médée

Prague National Theatre, The Estates Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic
All photos (5)
Select date and time
7 PM
From
US$ 77

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Prague, Czech Republic
Starts at: 19:00
Sung in: Italian
Titles in: Czech,English

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Cast
Performers
Choir: The National Theatre Chorus
Orchestra: The National Theatre Orchestra
Creators
Composer: Luigi Cherubini
Librettist: François-Benoît Hoffman
Director: Roland Schwab
Overview

Medea –  a dark figure of Greek mythology, a sorceress and a murderess, but perhaps above all a woman who for the love of a man is capable of committing dreadful crimes and out of hatred for him deeds even more heinous …

Medea has fascinated numerous artists, from Antiquity to modern times – from Euripides through Seneca, Pierre Corneille, Franz Grillparzer, Jean Anouilh, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Heiner Müller, to contemporary creators.There are a number of operas based on this extremely dramatic, grisly and, notwithstanding (or owing precisely to) its brutality, highly human story. Medea sacrifices everything for her beloved Jason, and saves his life on multiple occasions – and she only wants one thing in return: constant love. Yet Jason’s craving for power is stronger than his desire for Medea, hence after ten years of marriage he intends to abandon her to wed another woman, who will finally make his dream come true. Deeply hurt, the betrayed Medea decides to take revenge, not hesitating to dispense with that which mothers regard as the most sacred – the lives of her own children … One of those who set the final, most heart-wrenching part of the long Medea story was Luigi Cherubini, an Italian composer who spent most of his career in France.

Although written to a French libretto in Paris, Médée clearly reveals his having been inspired by Italian music music, thus being a direct precursor of Rossini’s, Donizetti’s and Bellini’s operas. The original score contained spoken dialogue, which after Cherubini’s death was replaced by sung recitatives, which resulted in the piece’s acquiring an even more Italian sound, as well as, in places, a markedly Romantic tone.

The Italian, early 20th-century, version of Médée, to be staged at the Estates Theatre, was primarily made famous in the 1950s and 1960s by the divine soprano Maria Callas, for whom Medea was an iconic role.

History
Premiere of this production: 13 March 1797, Théâtre Feydeau, Paris

Médée - French language opéra-comique by Luigi Cherubini. Libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman (Nicolas Étienne Framéry) was based on Euripides' tragedy of Medea and Pierre Corneille"Médée". It is set in the ancient city of Corinth.

Synopsis

Place: Corinth
Time: Antiquity

Act 1
Outside the palace of King Créon

Dircé is preparing for her wedding to Jason. Years ago, Jason had stolen the golden fleece with the help of Médée, who had betrayed her family and established a relationship with Jason, the result of which was two children. Although Jason has since abandoned Médée, she reappears and demands that he return to her. Jason refuses and Médée curses him, swearing vengeance.

Act 2
Inside the palace

In despair, Médée is encouraged by her slave, Néris, to leave the city. Créon then appears and orders that Médée leave. She asks for one more day with her children and, after the king agrees, she appears to be calmer and gives Néris two wedding presents to take to her rival.

Act 3
Between the palace and the temple

Néris brings the two children out to where Médée is waiting. Sounds of lamentation are heard from within the palace and it is discovered that one of Médée's wedding presents has poisoned Dircé. An angry crowd gathers and Néris, Médée, and the children take refuge in the temple. From the temple, the two women reappear with Médée grasping a blood-stained knife with which she has killed her two children. Médée curses Jason and disappears into the air. The temple goes up in flames and the crowd flees in terror.

Venue Info

Prague National Theatre - Prague
Location   Národní 2

The National Theatre is the prime stage of the Czech Republic. It is also one of the symbols of national identity and a part of the European cultural space, with a tradition spanning more than 130 years. It is the bearer of the national cultural heritage, as well as a space for free artistic creation.

The National Theatre (Czech: Národní divadlo) in Prague is known as the alma mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.

The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition, which helped to preserve and develop the most important features of the nation–the Czech language and a sense for a Czech musical and dramatic way of thinking.

Today, the National Theatre is made up of four artistic companies – the Opera, Drama, Ballet and Laterna magika. It artistically manages four stages – the three historical buildings: the National Theatre (1883), the State Opera (1888), and the Estates Theatre (1783), and the more recently opened New Stage (1983). The Opera, Drama and Ballet companies perform not only titles from the ample classical legacy, in addition to Czech works, they also focus on contemporary international creation.

Grand opening

The National Theatre was opened for the first time on 11 June 1881, to honour the visit of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria. Bedřich Smetana's opera Libuše was given its world premiere, conducted by Adolf Čech. Another 11 performances were presented after that. Then the theatre was closed down to enable the completion of the finishing touches. While this work was under way a fire broke out on 12 August 1881, which destroyed the copper dome, the auditorium, and the stage of the theatre.

The fire was seen as a national catastrophe and was met with a mighty wave of determination to take up a new collection: Within 47 days a million guldens were collected. This national enthusiasm, however, did not correspond to the behind-the-scenes battles that flared up following the catastrophe. Architect Josef Zítek was no longer in the running, and his pupil architect Josef Schulz was summoned to work on the reconstruction. He was the one to assert the expansion of the edifice to include the block of flats belonging to Dr. Polák that was situated behind the building of the Provisional Theatre. He made this building a part of the National Theatre and simultaneously changed somewhat the area of the auditorium to improve visibility. He did, however, take into account with utmost sensitivity the style of Zítek's design, and so he managed to merge three buildings by various architects to form an absolute unity of style.

Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Prague, Czech Republic
Starts at: 19:00
Sung in: Italian
Titles in: Czech,English
Top of page