Médée (Charpentier)

Médée H.491 is a tragédie mise en musique in five acts and a prologue by Marc-Antoine Charpentier to a French libretto by Thomas Corneille.

The opera was well reviewed by contemporary critics and commentators, including Sébastien de Brossard and Évrard Titon du Tillet, as well as Louis XIV whose brother attended several performances, as did his son; however, the opera only ran until March 15, 1694, although it was later revived at Lille.

Jason claims he needs to win the good graces of the princess Créuse so her doting father, King Créon, will protect them.

Médée protests that she only committed those crimes out of love for Jason, but Créon replies that the Corinthian people want her to leave.

Left alone, Médée resorts to witchcraft and summons demons from the underworld who bring her a poisoned robe for Créuse.

Médée rejoices at her success and plans to take her vengeance to an extreme by murdering her own children by Jason.

Jason swears revenge on Médée, who now appears in a flying chariot pulled by dragons to announce she has stabbed their children.