Martin Eden Stella Sacchini

For the staging of Odipe à Colone Antonio Sacchini could count on the support of Marie Antoinette Queen of France, who wanted to inaugurate, with this opera, the new theatre of Versailles on 4th January 1786. Due to inadequate machinery and some poor performances, however, success was not what had been expected. To console Sacchini of the near-failure, the Queen promised him to have Odipe repeated under better circumstances in the autumn, at Fontainebleau with the company of the Opéra, but the terrible events of the necklace affair made her too vulnerable to impose her choice. Already gravely ill, the composer took the news very badly: he died a few days later, in the night of October 8th, 1786. The première of Odipe à Colone took place on 1st February 1787 at Paris’s Opéra, in front of a full house. It was a triumph. Odipe à Colone kept reaping exceptional success up until 1844, reaching almost 600 performances and enthusing renowned composers such as Piccini and Berlioz.

Antonio Sacchini was one of the leading composers of Italian opera seria of the late 18th century. Oedipe à Colone, his last work, was extraordinarily successful, with regular performances at the Paris Opéra between 1787 and 1844. Based on Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus at Colonus, the second item in a trilogy that is one of the glories of Greek literature, Sacchini’s opera is notable for both its high drama and tender, moving lyricism. It was championed by Berlioz who considered it to be an inspired and even sublime work.

Antonio Sacchini was one of the leading composers of Italian opera seria of the late 18th century. Oedipe à Colone, his last work, was extraordinarily successful, with regular performances at the Paris Opéra between 1787 and 1844. Based on Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus at Colonus, the second item in a trilogy that is one of the glories of Greek literature, Sacchini’s opera is notable for both its high drama and tender, moving lyricism. It was championed by Berlioz who considered it to be an inspired and even sublime work.