| Oedipus | |
| Composer: | Wolfgang Rihm |
| Librettist: | Wolfgang Rihm |
| Language: | German |
| Based On: | Oedipus Rex by Sophocles |
| Premiere Location: | Deutsche Oper Berlin |
Oedipus is an opera in two parts composed by Wolfgang Rihm to a German-language libretto that he based on the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and related texts by Friedrich Nietzsche and Heiner Müller. The work is characterised as Musiktheater (Music drama). Written in 1986 and 1987, it was premiered on 4 October 1987 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, directed by Götz Friedrich; it was broadcast live then and recorded on DVD.
Oedipus was commissioned by Deutsche Oper Berlin. Wolfgang Rihm wrote libretto and music in 1986 and 1987. He based the libretto on the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex by Sophocles in the translation by Friedrich Hölderlin, and also on both Friedrich Nietzsche's fragment Oedipus. Reden des letzten Philosophen mit sich selbst. Ein Fragment aus der Geschichte der Nachwelt and Heiner Müller's Ödipuskommentar.
The opera was premiered at Deutsche Oper on 4 October 1987, conducted by Christof Prick and directed by Götz Friedrich in a stage design by . The soloists were Andreas Schmidt (Oedipus), William Pell (Kreon), William Dooley (Tiresias), Lenus Carlson (Messanger), William Murray (Shepherd) and Emily Golden (Jokasta). The performance was broadcast live, published as DVD. The opera was published by Universal Edition.
A concert version was played at the 1989 Wiener Festwochen at the Wiener Konzerthaus, conducted by Michael Gielen and with Richard Salter as Oedipus and Dunja Vejzović as Jokasta.
The opera was performed in 1991 at the Santa Fe Opera in an English version by Carol Borah Palca. It was conducted by George Manahan and directed by Francesca Zambello, with Rod Gilfry as Oedipus, David Rampy as Kreon, Dooley as Tiresias, Peter Van Derick as Messanger, Patryk Wroblewski as Shephers and Golden as Jokasta.
A 2003 production was staged at the Theater Krefeld und Mönchengladbach, with Kenneth Duryea conducting the Niederrheinischen Sinfoniker and directing in scenic design by Kirsten Dephoff. Johannes M. Kösters appeared in the title role, and Carola Guber as Jokasta.
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 4 October 1987 |
|---|---|---|
| Oedipus | baritone | Andreas Schmidt |
| Kreon | tenor | William Pell |
| Tiresias | baritone | William Dooley |
| Messanger | baritone | Lenus Carlson |
| Shepherd | baritone | William Murray |
| Jocasta | mezzo-soprano | Emily Golden |
| Sphinx | 4 sopranos | |
| 16 counselors | tenors and basses | |
| men, women, children | mixed choir | |
Rihm fragmented the plot of the Oedipus myth and created new relations. He structured the work in 21 scenes. Six scenes deal with the drama, based on Sophocles. Three scenes reflect the background, played at the back of the stage: Oedipus and the Sphinx, a child limping though a rocky desert, and the scuffle at the crossroads. Four scenes are inner monologues of Oedipus based on Nietzsche. Five scenes are based on Müller and reflect the action from a more neutral viewpoint.[1]
The music is scored for an orchestra of two flute (also piccolo), two oboes, two Cor anglais, four clarinets (two also bass clarinet), two bassoons, two contrabassoons, four horns, four trumpets (two also high), four trombones, six percussionists, two harps (amplyfied), piano, two violins. Oedipus and Jocasta play on stage a large hanging metal plate and a large wooden barrel drum.
The music is dominated by brass and percussion, illustrating outcry and protest. The only strings are two solo violins that play after Oedipus blinded himself, going to accompany him to "farthest distance". The music plays mostly in extreme range, both high and low, and in dynamix contrasts. It contains phases of silence and noises, tone clusters and violent percussion outbursts. The choir appears on stage as a 16-part men's choir of the counselors, while a miced choir both singing and speaking is added from tape. Rihm described the aggressive sound language: "Sound is a weapon here – or a scalpel?" ("Der Klang ist hier Waffe – oder Skalpell?"