Lucrece, A Music Theatre Narrative

Lucrece, the most virtuous wife in the whole of Rome, ignites an illicit passion in Tarquin, the king’s son. After being raped, entrapped in the contradictory ethical demands of her time, she kills herself. Her suicide triggers the expulsion of the kings and the establishment of the Roman Republic. This is the version of the story, as told in one of the most well-known European legends.

William Shakespeare’s narrative poem The Rape of Lucrece highlights the clash between modernity and the earlier, compact, medieval world that is falling apart: it portrays the struggle of the new, independent thinker against the outdated arbitrariness of the lords. The male world of the countryside, wars, and unbridled power is contrasted with the female world of innerness, negotiation, and ethical boundaries. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Lucrece, six musicians, two actors, and a choreographer collaborate to create  a music theatre narrative, blending speech and movement with musical improvisations and scores from the late Renaissance, early Baroque, and the 20th century.