A unique work with an idiosyncratic character - a work that focuses on one of the most important myths of ancient Greece: The "Medea" melodrama by the Bohemian composer and instrumental virtuoso Georg Anton Benda, who worked in the Gotha court orchestra under Frederick III of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, impresses with its immediate intensity of expression and the vivid representation of complex worlds of feelings and thoughts. No less a figure than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was fascinated by this "drama mixed with music" when he experienced it in person in Mannheim in 1778. "We attended two performances of Benda's Medea with great pleasure. Nothing has ever impressed me more! The combination of prose and music is extremely pleasing. Benda is one of my favorite composers." This is what the young Mozart wrote to his father Leopold immediately after the overwhelming performance. In the 18th century, the term “melodrama” was used to describe a form that was apparently avant-garde enough for the time to impress even the genius of the young Wolfgang: a play with musical accompaniment, but with recitations instead of singing.

Bastian Uhlig

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Upcoming events

Sep 28, 2024

Ekhof Festival 2024: “medea” Premiere – As Part Of: Golden Autumn · Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach

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