If you find the story of Medea - murderess of her own children, incinerator of her rival in love, vengeful troublemaker par excellence - to be too gruesome, you should probably stay away from the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, currently engaged in performing not just one but a series of three operas about the love-scorned sorceress. According to the theater's general director, Michel Franck, Michèle Losier, the mezzo-soprano who portrays the protagonist in Marc-Antoine Charpentier's ‘‘Médée'' from 1793, has complained of recurring nightmares and said she could never portray Medea if she had children.
Like most programming decisions in opera, the Medea project is less the result of bringing an abstract idea to fruition than of seizing opportunities from what is at hand. According to Mr. Franck, the conductor and early-music expert Emmanuelle Haïm wanted to do Charpentier's ‘‘Médée,'' and with the first of the three productions gets her wish. The othe r two works will be seen in significant productions spotted by Mr. Franck in other theaters. ‘‘Medea'' by the composer Pascal Dusapin and the choreographer Sasha Waltz, which was based on Mr. Dusapin's opera ‘‘Medeamaterial'' and premiered at the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg in 2007, will be given in November. The following month Christophe Rousset will conduct Cherubini's 1797 ‘‘Médée'' in a production new last year by Krzysztof Warlikowski at Brussels's Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie.
Along with Lully's ‘‘Atys,'' Charpentier's ‘‘Médée'' was one of the first grand operatic tragedies from the Louis XIV era to experience a successful modern revival, thanks to the conductor William Christie and his ensemble Les Arts Florissants. They recorded it commercially twice, the second time with the mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt in a memorable performance of the title role. ‘‘Médée'' was Charpentier's only opera for the Paris Opéra (t hen called the Académie Royale de Musique) and the composer had to wait for the death of Lully, who held a royal monopoly on opera production, for this to happen. Received wisdom long had it that Charpentier was the superior talent of the two and that his career was stifled by Lully's unfair advantage. Now that operas by Lully, at least in France, are performed with some regularity, many have come believe that he in fact had the artistic edge, even as they recognize the injustice suffered by Charpentier.
In any case, Charpentier holds his own with ‘‘Médée.'' Like most dramatic versions of the story, it opens after Médée has made considerable personal sacrifice to enable her beloved Jason to win the Golden Fleece. Now disowned by her family and exiled, she correctly fears that Jason's affections have shifted toward Créuse, the daughter of King Créon of Corinth, who has given Jason and Médée refuge. Charpentier's librettist, Thomas Corneille, included still another character, Oronte, the prince of Argos, whom Créon has counted on, together with Jason, to help him withstand an attack from the enemies of Jason and Médée.
In a plot-complicating wrinkle, Oronte also loves Créuse, yet ultimately the focus is on Médée, whom Charpentier portrays as convulsed by conflicting emotions while leaving no doubt that losing Jason means losing everything. Charpentier effectively enlists the obligatory choruses and dances of French Baroque opera to play a part in Médée's grim retribution, as, for instance, in a ceremony in which Médée, invoking magical powers, summons demons and prepares a poison to implant in a robe destined for Créuse (choreography by Kim Brandstrup).
One of the strengths of Pierre Audi's vivid production is the way these massed scenes smoothly dovetail with his grippingly directed episodes for principals alone. The production also benefits mightily from décor by the celebrated visual artist Jo nathan Meese. Although Mr. Meese's work is famous for often having an unsettling, even violent aspect, here he relies on bright colors to produce a captivating mix of recognizable images and abstract designs. One backdrop repeatedly replicates a woman's red lips, and elsewhere eyes and noses enter the picture; on the stage floor are positioned several trapezoidal boxes that resemble large gold ingots. An element of humor is injected when the words ‘‘la cuisine'' appear during the poison ceremony.
You wonder whether the idea was to deliberately soften the impact of the opera's gruesomeness. In any case, Mr. Meese's sets, lighted by Jean Kalman, are a pleasure to behold, and Jorge Jara's modern-dress costumes are also effective. Mr. Audi makes an almost delicate moment of Médée's most heinous act of retaliation against Jason - the offstage murder of their two children. While Jason comforts the dying Créuse as the two sing a poignant duet, the children are le d to two of the gold boxes, now overturned to form coffins, and almost as if they were still playing, as we had witnessed them do earlier, they gently climb in.
The cast is strong, but a stronger protagonist would be welcome. Ms. Losier is an able singer and does a convincing job of conveying Médée's emotional turmoil in her big Act 4 scene. But at climactic outbursts her voice lacks resonance and as a stage animal her Médée seems a size too small. Anders Dahlin's ultra-light tenor voice may not please everyone, but it is the kind of voice that suits the high tenor category known as haute-contre and Mr. Dahlin gives an accomplished portrayal as Jason.
The soprano Sophie Karthäuser sings beautifully in projecting Créuse's delicacy, and the outstanding baritone Stéphane Degoute makes one glad Charpentier included the character of Oronte. At one point, rejected by Créuse, Oronte teams up with Médée but in a touching moment recognizes that revenge will not bring him the princess's love. Also excellent is the bass-baritone Laurent Naouri's strongly voiced Créon.
Ms. Haïm is the harpsichordist on Mr. Christie's second recording of ‘‘Médée.'' Now with her own groups, Le Concert d'Astrée and Choeur d'Astrée, she presides over the (somewhat trimmed) score herself and does so very well, leading a nicely paced, instrumentally colorful performance.
Charpentier's ‘‘Médée'' through Oct 23.
Dusapin and Waltz's ‘‘Medea'': Nov. 9 and 10.
Cherubini's ‘‘Médée'': Dec. 10-16.
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