Great Performances: Medea

Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role as the mythic sorceress 

Provided by PBS

Sondra Radvanovsky portrays the mythic sorceress in this Met premiere of Cherubini’s rarely performed masterpiece.

Great Performances at the Met raises the curtain on Medea with opera star Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role as the mythic sorceress who stops at nothing in her quest for vengeance. This production marks Radvanovsky’s fourth new production with director David McVicar, who also designed the sets for this staging. Based on Euripides’ famous play, Medea takes place in the ancient Greek city of Corinth, a locale once wealthy and sophisticated. Projections and a large mirror above the stage help illustrate how her choices reflect the collapse of her family, as the man she loves rejects her, and her children become her only outlet for revenge. It airs Friday, June 16 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

This Met Opera premiere of Cherubini’s rarely performed masterpiece features tenor Matthew Polenzani as Medea’s Argonaut husband, Giasone; soprano Janai Brugger as her rival for his love, Glauce; bass Michele Pertusi as her father, Creonte, the King of Corinth; and mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova as Medea’s confidante, Neris. Maestro Carlo Rizzi conducts, and opera star Joyce DiDonato hosts the broadcast.