GORDON KERRY (b.1961): Medea.

Description: Kerry's opera concentrates on the last part of the Medea myth, a domestic tale of love turned to hatred, and revenge - no Argonauts, no epic battles, no Golden Fleece. This is appropriate to the chamber scale of the piece, with four soloists and a small ensemble, augmented by electronic keyboard only to fill out textures. Kerry's music music is grounded in tonality, with some elements of bitonality and dodecaphony incorporated for the purposes of musically delineating characters and scene-setting. The vocal narrative is of especial importance, strongly characterised and lyrically melodic in long lines and clarity of line for ready comprehensibility of the linear narrative. An effective and eloquent music drama, not grand opera and not trying to be, but a genuine and successful piece of operatic story-telling. Libretto included. Merlyn Quaife (soprano), Angela Giblin (mezzo), Michael C. Smith (tenor), David Lemke (baritone), Chamber Made Opera; Mark Summerbell.