A Special Message about The Medium from the Artistic Director of Independent Opera Company, Galina Barskaya

Did you know that The Medium is the third opera by Menotti that IOC has produced? The first two productions were the more lighthearted compositions of Amahl and the Night Visitors, in IOC’s inaugural 2012-13 Season and Amelia Goes to the Ball in 2018. IOC first performed The Medium in 2019, and we are thrilled to revisit this haunting opera!Our love for Menotti is apparent, although The Medium is very challenging and unique with its darkness and intensity. The work was inspired by a real event in the composer’s life. 

Speaks Menotti: "I had been invited by my neighbors to attend a seance in their house. I readily accepted their invitation but, I must confess, with my tongue in my cheek. However, as the seance unfolded, I began to be somewhat troubled. Although I was unaware of anything unusual, it gradually became clear to me that my hosts, in their pathetic desire to believe, actually saw and heard their dead daughter, Doodly (a name which I retained in the opera). It was I, not they, who felt cheated. The creative power of their faith and conviction made me examine my own cynicism and led me to wonder at the multiple texture of reality."

I was both attracted and terrified by the darkness of the story and the score. My personal inclination is to find something light and uplifting in the works we choose. Yet in The Medium, there is no happy ending in sight! However, I must confess that working on this fabulous score has been very cathartic and healing! It has been a great learning experience for me – how not to be afraid of darker sides of life and how exploring them could be an ultimately rewarding experience.

As always, I am so grateful to the wonderful cast and creative artists I'm working with. They make all the hard work that goes into production so worthwhile, and I hope they fuel your enjoyment of this performance!