Symphony No.4b: Antigone

Abstract

Symphony No.4 - “Antigone” is an orchestral suite derived from the opera, “Antigone,” and was completed in 1994. Constantinides began work on his three act opera based on Sophocles play 20 years ago and completed it in 1989. It was premiered in 1993 by the Baton Rouge Opera. Since then he has written several orchestral suites derived from the opera which have received numerous performances. The Annapolis Chamber Orchestra presented three scenes from the opera at Carnegie Hall in New York on June 5, 1994, with tenor soloist Thomas Poole and conductor E. Green. Constantinides is well qualified to write an opera on this subject, having read and studied the work in the original ancient Greek, in modern Greek, and in most of its English translations. The opera, which is performed in English, uses as libretto a 1936 translation of the play by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. This present version uses the translation by Dinos Constantinides from the text of Sophocles. The opera is performed in three acts and follows the original story closely. The first act offers background information about how Antigone’s two brothers fought to the death over who would rule Thebes and about Antigone’s plan to bury her brother Polyneices despite the royal decree against burying the “traitor” to the throne - a decree brought about by the new king and Antigone’s uncle, Creon. The second act focuses on Antigone’s confrontation with Creon and the conflict between Creon and his son, Haimon. The final act centers on Creon’s realization that he has wronged Antigone and the tragic consequences of his rash actions.