Enescu's Œdipe

To compose his masterwork, Enescu combined two Greek tragedies by Sophocles in order to tell the full story of Oedipus—Brilliantly brought to life by baritone Christopher Maltman—instead of solely setting the episode for which he has become infamous. “We are telling the story of a human being, [...] his whole life from its beginning to its end” explains stage director Wajdi Mouawad, “Oedipus is a taboo, he is a punishment incarnate” inflicted to his father Laïos (the excellent Yann Beuron) who will also cause the downfall of his mother, Queen Jocasta (the marvellous Ekaterina Gubanova). When Sophocles’s play premiered, the city of Athens was ravaged by a plague: “one needs to imagine a decimated city, where Apollo says ‘a crime was committed, it needs to be put right’. Then it turns out that the king, the one leading the investigation, discovers that he is the crime, that he is guilty”. This famous episode of Greek mythology, implanted in our own cultural and even linguistic landscape, shines in a new and different light in Enescu’s version, more subtle due to the importance of symbolism. The tale of Oedipus and the questions his legend raises were as relevant in Antiquity as they are in the 21st century.

Emmanuelle Thomas’s gorgeous costumes, Emmanuel Clolus’s sober scenography, as well as the talent of the performers: all contribute to immersing the audience in a fantastic and eternal world.

Photo © Elisa Haberer