Basically, it's about Oedipus, who was prophesied to kill his father and marry his mother. His parents ordered him to be killed when he was a baby, but he was taken in by another family as their own child. Eventually, the Gods tell him his destiny, and he runs away, thinking that his his adopted parents are his real parents. Then Oedipus has roid rage and kills a man who happens to be King Laius (his biological father) while on the run, and enters Thebes, where he becomes King after solving a riddle, thus marrying his mother, Jacosta, thus making him history's most famous mother-f****r. They have four kids together, then Oedipus seeks to avenge Laius' death, unaware that he killed him and that he was his son. Oedipus realizes that he killed his father and married his mother, so he gauges his eyes out and banishes himself from Thebes.
The plot is strange, yes. But the graphic gore and unnecessary details are even more strange. For example:
From her clothes he ripped the golden broochesLovely visual images, eh?
she wore as ornaments, raised them high,
and drove them deep into his eyeballs...
With these words he raised his hand and struck,
not once, but many times, right into the sockets.
With every blow blood spurted from his eyes
down on his beard, and not in single drops,
but showers of dark blood spattered like hail.
(1513-1526)
Ah, my children, where are you? Come here,
come into my arms--you are my sisters now...
Your father killed his father, and then ploughed
his mother's womb--where he himself was born--
conceiving you where he, too was conceived.
(1750-1770)
After we read it in class, we watched an operatic rendition. I'm in love with it. Of course, I love Stravinsky in general, but this is extraordinary. The set and costumes are made by the same man that did the Lion King, so they are out of this world. Almost as incredible as the makeup. Here's a little taste:
By the way, Jessye Norman is beyond amazing--look her up on YouTube. Lady has some pipes on her.
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