This is an operatic tour-de-force for a dramatic soprano who really has a fire inside her. Revived for her in 1953, the opera today is most closely identified with Maria Callas. She kept it in her repertoire up until the 1960's and for many opera fans Maria Callas will always be the one and only Medea. Premiered in 1797, the opera was not warmly received but has gradually found a place in the outer repertoire.
Interestingly the opera was written in French as an opera comique with spoken dialogue between the arias and ensembles. For performances in Vienna in 1802, music not by Cherubini was added to turn the spoken dialogue into recitative and the French text was translated into Italian.
It is this Italian version that Callas made famous, she never sang the role in the original French. Other famous exponents of the role include Elizabeth Connell, Montserrat Caballé, Leyla Gencer, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Magda Olivero and Leonie Rysanek.
The opera is based on Sophocles' tragedy in which Jason has tired of the sorceress Medea and is taking a new wife. Medea loses control, murders her children and sets fire to the temple. She also murders her rival with a poisoned dress she gives her as a wedding present. Here is La Divina, Maria Callas as Medea at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
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