Œdipus Rex
Oedipus rex is an opera-oratorio by Igor Stravinsky, scored for orchestra, speaker, soloists, and male chorus. The libretto, based on Sophocles's tragedy, was written by Jean Cocteau in French and then translated by Abbé Jean Daniélou into Latin; the narration, however, is performed in the language of the audience.
Oedipus rex was written towards the beginning of Stravinsky's neoclassical period, and is considered one of the finest works from this phase of the composer's career. He had considered setting the work in Ancient Greek, but decided ultimately on Latin: in his words "a medium not dead but turned to stone".
Movements
Prologue
- Spectateurs (Speaker)
Act I
- "Caedit nos pestis" (Chorus)
- "Liberi, vos liberabo" (Œdipus)
- "Voici Créon" (Speaker)
- "Respondit deus" (Créon)
- "Non reperias" (Œdipus)
- "Œdipe interroge ..." (Speaker)
- "Delie exspectamus" (Chorus)
- "Dicere non possum" (Tiresias)
- "Invidia fortunam odit" (Œdipus)
- Oedipus Rex: Act I. “Gloria, gloria, gloria!” (Chorus)
Act II
- "La dispute des princes ..." (Speaker)
- "Gloria!" (Chorus)
- "Nonne erubescite reges" (Jocasta)
- "Laius in trivio" (Jocasta, Œdipus, Chorus)
- "Oracula ..." (Jocasta, Œdipus)
- "Le témoin du meurtre ..." (Speaker)
- "Adest omniscius" (Messenger, Chorus)
- Oedipus Rex: Act II. “A messenger announces” (Speaker)
- Oedipus Rex: Act II. “Trivium, trivium, trivium!… Pavesco subito, Jocasta” (Chorus, Oedipus)
- "Oportebat tacere" (Shepherd)
- "Nonne monstrum rescituri" (Œdipus)
- "In montre reppertus est" (Shepherd, Messenger, Chorus)
- "Natus sum" (Œdipus)
- "Et maintenant ..." (Speaker)
- "Divum Jocastae caput mortuum" (Messenger, Shepherd)
- Oedipus Rex: Act II. “Ecce! Regem Oedipoda” (Chorus)