FULL King Midas’ Ears (Tüzün) Izmir 1990 Hüseyin Çanlıoğlu, Nurgün Baburhan, Mehmet Büyükağaoğlu
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: King Midas' Ears or Turkish: Midas'ın Kulakları
- Composer: Ferit Tüzün
- Libretto: Güngör Dilmen Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Alhambra Stage, Izmir, Turkey, Izmir Devlet Opera ve Balesi
- Recorded: November 3, 1990
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Hüseyin Çanlıoğlu, Nurgün Baburhan, Mehmet Büyükağaoğlu, Suhan Arslan, Erdem Türkbay, Rıza Ekşioğlu
- Conductor: Ercan Yenal
- Orchestra: Orchestra of the Izmir Devlet Opera ve Balesi
- Chorus: Chorus of the Izmir Devlet Opera ve Balesi
- Chorus Master: Jean Yves Gauden
- Choreographer: İsmet Özer
- Stage Director: Mehmet Ergüven
- Stage Designer: Refik Eren
- Costume Designer: Hale Eren
Information about the Recording
- Published by: Saint Polycarp
- Date Published: 2024
- Format: Unknown
- Quality Video: 2 Audio:2
- Subtitles: nosubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
Composed by Ferit Tüzün between 1966 and 1969, “Midas’s Ears” was first performed at the Istanbul Palace of Culture in 1969 by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.
While Tüzün was serving as the General Director of the State Opera and Ballet, to which he was appointed in 1977, he revised the work and staged it at ADOB on 15 October 1977. Tüzün, who prepared the work for the season opening, died at the age of 48 as a result of a heart attack 6 days after its first screening.
The legend of “Midas’ Ears”
According to the legend of “Midas’s Ears”, King Midas will decide who is the best in the music contest between the Wild God Pan and the Greek God Apollo. When Midas cast his vote on behalf of Pan, Apollo became angry and turned Midas’ ears into donkey ears.
Donkey-eared Midas is forced to share this secret only with his barber. The barber swore to keep Midas’s secret, but now he begins to see Midas’s ears in his dreams and talks about them day and night. When he realizes that he cannot carry Midas’ secret any longer, he goes into a well and screams “Midas’ ears, donkey ears” and relaxes. However, the well whispers to the waters, the waters to the reeds, the reeds whisper this secret to everyone, and everyone learns that Midas’ ears are donkey ears.