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Libretto
The opera “Antigone” is the third of the trilogy Medea, Elektra and Antigone. The text (libretto, lyrics) of Antigone are a mix of the plays written by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and has been written by Mikis Theodorakis. I found this information on the website of Schott Music, today. Because the text is in Greek I do not know how the story-line of the opera is: Euripides created another end than Sophocles. For the first time I find also the name Aeschylus. In the information about Aeschylus I cannot find anything about Antigone, but there is some about his competition with Sophocles about the play Oedipus. Aeschylus has won it. Interesting is also that “Aeschylus was a deep, religious thinker”, I read in wiki. “Few poets have ever presented evil in such stark and tragic terms.” And: “Aeschylus was a soldier and playwright.” (Soldier?!….)
From left to right: Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles and Mikis Theodorakis
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Antigone (Opera): the music and the principle characters
How cruel and barbaric the story might be: the music is beautiful. I am not an opera-fan, but the more I listen here, because of all the posts, and the more I have digged up and learned, the more I love the music and longing finally to listen the entire opera.
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- Composer – Mikis Theodorakis
- Libretto after texts by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides by Mikis Theodorakis
- Years of composition: 1994-1996
The following information belongs to the video: a recording from 1999:
- Oedipus – Yorgos Pappas (Bass)
- Antigone – Tzeni Drivala (Soprano)
- Creon – Dimitris Kasioumis (Baritone)
- Coryphacus – Pavlos Sampsakis (Bass Baritone)
- Haemon – Zachos Terzakis (Tenor) (Interview in the following post)
- Jocasta – Dafne Evagelatou (Mezzo Soprano)
- Enteocles – Panayiotis Athanasopoulus (Baritone)
- Polynices – Tasis Christogianopoulus (Tenor)
- Choir – National Opera Choir
- Orchestra – Athens State Orchestra
- Conductor – Loukas Karytinos
- Year – 1999
Act 1
Scene 1. Before the walls of Thebes 00:01
Scene 2. First Episode, The interor of the fortress at Thebes 15:32
Scene 2. Second Episode, Enter Polynices 26:02
Scene 2. Third Episode 52:26
Act 2
Scene 3. First Episode, Before the Palace (Enter Antigone) 00:01
Scene 4. Second Episode 21:04
Scene 4. Enter Haemon, outside the walls 37:06
Scene 5. Finale, A cave 48:12
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Sources and additional information
- Antigone, part 1: The meaning of Transforming Evil
- Antigone, part 2: The cruel story of Oedipus
- Antigone, part 3: Who is Antigone?
- Website: Zachos Terzakis
- Wolf Marloh: Photo Mikis Theodorakis
Updated: 21 November 2015
