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The Medium
The Medium
The Medium
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The Medium
Opera by Gian Carlo Menotti
The composer in 1944
LibrettistMenotti
LanguageEnglish
Premiere
May 8, 1946 (1946-05-08)
Columbia University, New York

The Medium is a short (one-hour-long) two-act dramatic opera with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. Commissioned by the Alice M. Ditson Fund at Columbia University, its first performance was there on 8 May 1946, with Claramae Turner as Madame Flora. The opera's first professional production was presented on a double bill with Menotti's The Telephone at the Heckscher Theater, New York City, February 18–20, 1947 by the Ballet Society. The Broadway production took place on May 1, 1947, at the Ethel Barrymore Theater with the same cast.[1]

In 1951, Menotti directed, with the help of filmmaker Alexander Hammid, a film version made to resemble film noir, and starring Marie Powers as Madame Flora and Anna Maria Alberghetti as Monica. A live television production starring Marie Powers took place on 12 December 1948 on the TV series Studio One and on 14 February, 1959 on Omnibus,[2] starring Claramae Turner.

It was also filmed for Australian TV in 1960.

Roles

[edit]
Role Voice type Professional Premiere Cast, February 18, 1947
(Conductor: Jascha Zayde)
Monica soprano Evelyn Keller
Toby tacet Leo Coleman
Madame Flora (Baba) contralto Marie Powers
Mrs Gobineau soprano Beverly Dame
Mr Gobineau baritone Frank Rogier
Mrs. Nolan mezzo-soprano Virginia Beeler
A voice, to be sung off stage by Mrs Gobineau soprano Beverly Dame

Synopsis

[edit]

Act 1

[edit]

The medium's parlor

Monica, Madame Flora's daughter, and Toby, a mute servant boy rescued from "the streets of Budapest" play dress-up. When Madame Flora, or "Baba" as they call her, arrives home drunk, she violently chastises them for not preparing for that night's seance. Soon the guests arrive, Mr. and Mrs. Gobineau, regulars, and the widow Mrs. Nolan who is attending for the first time. With Madame Flora in a trance in her chair, a fake seance is held where Mrs. Nolan speaks with what she thinks is her deceased sixteen-year-old daughter but is really Monica behind a screen. As Monica disappears, Mrs. Nolan rushes toward the figure and is restrained by the Gobineaus. When order is restored, Mr. and Mrs. Gobineau "communicate" with their deceased two-year-old son Mickey, who, having never learned to speak, only laughs. After they say goodbye to him, Madame Flora "suddenly, with a loud gasp... clutches at her throat with both hands." She feels a phantom hand clutching her throat and is "terror-stricken." After demanding that the guests leave, she calls for Monica and tells her what she felt, eventually blaming Toby who was in the other room the whole time. In an effort to calm Baba's drunken rage toward Toby, Monica sings her the dark lullaby "The Black Swan" which is interrupted by a voice that Baba hears causing her to fly into a terrified rage at Toby for not telling her where the voice is coming from. The act ends with Monica again singing the lullaby while Baba recites her Hail Marys.

Act 2

[edit]

A few days later

Toby is giving a puppet show for Monica. Their mutual love becomes more obvious. When Baba comes home, she resumes her accusations on Toby, sure that he knows what went on that night. The guests again arrive, expecting another seance but are driven away by Madame Flora who tries to convince them that the whole thing was a sham by revealing all the tricks that she and Monica used. But the guests are not convinced and leave claiming that while she might have thought she was cheating them, she in fact was not. Once the guests are gone, she drives Toby out despite Monica's pleas on his behalf. With everyone gone, and Monica in her room, Baba pours herself another drink and questions her own sanity, becoming wild with drink and eventually passing out. Once she has fallen asleep, Toby sneaks back in and tries to get into Monica's room, but finds it locked and eventually goes to the trunk to find his tambourine. While searching, he knocks the lid of the trunk down waking Baba. Toby quickly hides in the puppet theater. As Baba tries to see where the noise came from and fetches a revolver from a drawer in the table. "Hysterically" she shouts out "Who is it? Speak or I'll Shoot!" and the puppet theater curtain moves. Baba screams and fires at it several times. As Toby's bloody body collapses grasping the curtain, Baba says "I've killed the ghost! I've killed the ghost!" Monica, hearing the gunshots, enters, sees Toby's lifeless body and runs for help. As the final curtain falls very slowly Baba asks, in a hoarse whisper, "Was it you?"

Noted arias

[edit]
  • "Monica's Waltz" (Monica)
  • "The Black Swan" (Monica)
  • "Afraid, am I afraid?" (Baba)

Discography

[edit]
  • The Medium, The Telephone, Julija Samsonova-Khayet, Marily Santoro, Chiara Isotton, Lorenzo Grante, Roxana Herrera Diaz, Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, Flavio Emilio Scogna, Brilliant Classics 95361, 2018.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

The Medium

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Medium is a two-act , described by the as a "," with and music by . Commissioned by the Alice M. Ditson Fund of , it premiered on May 8, 1946, at the university's Brander Matthews Hall in , with in the role of Madame Flora. A revised version opened on Broadway at the Heckscher Theatre on February 18, 1947, and ran for 212 performances. The work centers on Madame Flora, a fraudulent spirit medium who conducts fake with the aid of her young daughter Monica and a mute orphan boy, Toby. During one , an unseen spirit intervenes, leading to , madness, and themes of guilt, , and the . Scored for a chamber , the blends spoken , , and in a psychological horror narrative inspired by . Menotti adapted the into a of the same name, which he directed, starring as Monica. The opera has been widely performed and recorded, remaining a staple of the American operatic repertoire for its dramatic intensity and accessibility.

Background and Composition

Development and Influences

The Medium originated as an idea within around 2012, but full development began later to leverage next-generation console capabilities for its ambitious dual-reality gameplay mechanic, which allows simultaneous rendering of the material and spirit worlds. The Polish studio, founded in 2008 in , shifted toward titles starting around 2016 with , building expertise in atmospheric, narrative-driven experiences that informed The Medium. The game's script and design emphasize themes of trauma, guilt, and the , drawing from personal and cultural explorations of the blurred lines between reality and the otherworldly. Influences for The Medium include the Silent Hill series, particularly Silent Hill 2, along with other Japanese horror games like Kuon, Forbidden Siren, and Resident Evil, which inspired the psychological tension and environmental storytelling. The visual style of the spirit realm is heavily inspired by the surreal, dystopian paintings of Polish artist Zdzisław Beksiński, while the abandoned Niwa resort setting draws from real communist-era Polish architecture and locations to evoke isolation and decay. Additional inspirations encompass films and series such as The Shining, Stranger Things, The VVitch, and the Chernobyl miniseries, contributing to the narrative's focus on haunting past events. The soundtrack, co-composed by Akira Yamaoka (known for Silent Hill) and Arkadiusz Reikowski, incorporates dark ambient and industrial elements influenced by artists like The Haxan Cloak and Chelsea Wolfe. Developed using Unreal Engine 4, the game prioritizes immersive audio-visual design over combat, emphasizing exploration, puzzles, and out-of-body experiences.

Premiere and Initial Productions

The Medium was officially announced by on May 7, 2020, during an Xbox Series X reveal event, positioning it as a console launch title. Initially slated for a December 10, 2020 release, it was delayed to January 28, 2021, to allow additional polishing, launching simultaneously on Microsoft Windows and Xbox Series X/S, with day-one availability on . The game was published by itself, marking their ambition to self-publish after previous partnerships. A version followed on September 3, 2021, expanding accessibility with enhanced performance features like and ray-tracing. Subsequent ports included on February 17, 2022, and (via cloud streaming) on June 29, 2023, broadening the game's reach beyond its initial next-gen focus. These releases highlighted the game's technical innovations, such as seamless dual-world transitions enabled by SSD storage and advanced rendering, solidifying Bloober Team's reputation in the horror genre.

Roles and Musical Forces

Vocal Roles

The Medium features a compact ensemble of six principal characters, each with distinct vocal profiles that underscore their dramatic functions in the . The roles demand singers capable of conveying psychological depth through nuanced vocal expression, ranging from youthful to mature dramatic intensity. Toby, uniquely, is a non-singing role, emphasizing physical to communicate the character's inner turmoil and isolation.
RoleVoice TypeDescription
MonicaInnocent daughter of Madame Flora, providing emotional contrast through bright, agile lines.
Madame Flora (Baba)Fraudulent medium, requiring a rich, powerful low register to portray authority and desperation.
Toby (mute)Adopted orphan, reliant on and gesture for expression rather than voice.
Mrs. GobineauGrieving mother, calling for clear, poignant tones to evoke sorrow.
Mr. GobineauSupportive husband, demanding a steady, reassuring vocal quality.
Mrs. NolanDesperate widow, suited to a warm, flexible for conveying vulnerability.
The vocal writing in The Medium prioritizes emotional intensity over virtuosic display, with wide dynamic ranges and subtle colorations essential for the characters' psychological portrayals; for instance, the and roles explore extremes of tenderness and , while the mute Toby's role highlights the opera's theme of unspoken communication through demanding requirements. In the Broadway premiere on May 1, 1947, at the , Marie Powers originated Madame Flora, her commanding and dramatic presence establishing the character as a quintessential tormented anti-heroine in American opera, earning widespread acclaim for bringing raw authenticity to the role. Evelyn Keller portrayed Monica as the , her fresh lyricism contributing to the of the naive ingenue caught in familial conflict. Leo Coleman embodied Toby, leveraging expressive physicality to define the silent sufferer as a pivotal figure of without vocal contribution. Beverly Dame (Mrs. Gobineau, ) and Virginia Beeler (Mrs. Nolan, mezzo-soprano) provided supportive vocal warmth to their respective maternal s, while Frank Rogier (Mr. Gobineau, ) offered grounded stability, reinforcing the ensemble's interpersonal dynamics. These performers' interpretations set benchmarks for the opera's casting, influencing subsequent productions with their blend of operatic tradition and theatrical realism.

Orchestration and Staging Elements

The Medium employs a chamber orchestra to support its intimate dramatic scale, featuring 2 flutes (with one doubling on piccolo), oboe, 2 clarinets (one doubling on bass clarinet), bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, and strings. This ensemble allows for a tight, responsive sound that underscores the opera's psychological tension, with the harp and piano providing ethereal and percussive accents to evoke the supernatural while the strings deliver subtle emotional undercurrents. The reduced forces facilitate close integration with the singers, enhancing the work's focus on personal delusion and isolation without overwhelming the vocal lines. Staging in The Medium emphasizes atmospheric intimacy through innovative technical elements that blur the boundaries between the mundane and the otherworldly. Productions often utilize screens to create ghostly apparitions and layered visuals during séances, allowing "spirits" to appear and dissolve seamlessly, which heightens the theme of versus . Dim techniques, employing low-intensity lamps and , further obscure distinctions between the tangible parlor setting and hallucinatory visions, fostering a sense of creeping dread and psychological unease. Central to the staging is the puppet mechanism operated by the character Toby to simulate spirit communications, a device that integrates mechanical ingenuity with the narrative's exploration of . This setup, typically concealed behind the seance table or screen, enables lifelike movements of ethereal figures, reinforcing the opera's of fraudulent while adding a layer of eerie . In early productions directed by Menotti himself, such as the 1947 Broadway premiere, the set design centered on a claustrophobic rendition of Madame Flora's seance parlor, with cramped furniture, draped walls, and minimal exits to amplify feelings of and . Menotti's approach prioritized realism infused with subtle , using the confined space to mirror the characters' mental confinement and to draw audiences into the opera's probing examination of guilt and the unknown.

Synopsis

The Medium is set in 1999 in post-communist Poland and follows , a spirit medium who assists troubled souls in finding peace. Still grieving the recent death of her foster father, Jack, Marianne receives a phone call from Thomas, the caretaker of the now-abandoned Niwa Workers' Resort. Thomas promises to reveal the origins of her powers and explain a recurring nightmare she has had since childhood, in which she witnesses a man shooting a young girl by a lake. Intrigued and seeking answers, Marianne travels to the derelict resort, a site tied to the infamous Niwa Massacre from years prior. Upon arriving, begins exploring the resort's dual realities: the physical world and the spirit realm, using her abilities to switch between them or project her spirit for out-of-body experiences. She encounters various echoes of the past, including a malevolent entity known as , which pursues her through the shadows, and the spirit of a girl named , who is trapped in . As Marianne delves deeper, she uncovers Thomas's connection to the resort and his daughter Lilianne, revealing traumatic events involving abuse, a , and the massacre's origins. The narrative builds to a confrontation at the lake from Marianne's dream, where she learns shocking truths about her own identity—she is Thomas's , having been in a since the fire—and the intertwined fates of the characters. The story explores themes of guilt, trauma, and the blurred line between and the , culminating in an ambiguous choice that leaves the player's interpretation open-ended. No combat is featured; progression relies on puzzle-solving, exploration, and interactions across the two realms.

Music and Dramatic Structure

Musical Style and Themes

The soundtrack of The Medium was composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and , utilizing a dual-layer approach to reflect the game's innovative dual-reality , where the world and spirit realm coexist. Reikowski crafted the more cinematic and emotional score for the physical reality, while Yamaoka, known for the series, provided industrial, atmospheric horror elements for the spirit world, including synth drones, unsettling tones, and riffs to evoke dread and introspection. The overall style is minimalist, emphasizing sparse, expressionistic soundscapes with long, low analog synthesizers and subtle percussion to build psychological tension without overwhelming the narrative. Central themes of trauma, guilt, loss, and the are integrated through recurring motifs, such as somber guitar lines representing and dark, gloomy synths for otherworldly horror, appearing across the 27-track to unify the story of Marianne's investigation. Vocals by add haunting depth, blending acoustic and rock elements to mirror internal conflict and emotional unraveling. Next-generation hardware enables simultaneous playback of both soundtracks, creating a seamless, immersive audio experience that heightens the eerie tone inspired by Zdzisław Beksiński's surreal art. and ambient effects serve as key elements, contrasting musical cues to emphasize isolation and unspoken horrors, while adaptive music dynamically shifts to propel the continuous from initial mystery to climactic madness. Through these techniques, the music not only advances the psychological progression but also blurs the boundaries between realities, using evocative, sparse sounds to deepen the game's exploration of deception and the .

Key Arias and Ensembles

"The Love That Was Lost" opens the soundtrack with a somber motif, capturing early themes of and setting an emotional foundation for Marianne's journey through loss. Composed primarily by Yamaoka, the track features slow, mournful rhythms that build , highlighting the composers' ability to blend simplicity with dramatic weight. "Marianne" serves as the protagonist's theme, a poignant piece that shifts from creepy undertones in the spirit realm to hopeful swells in the material world, using undulating synths and strings to evoke her dual existence and abilities; it underscores moments of revelation and vulnerability. "," featuring vocals by , emerges as a central vocal track that reflects communication and inner turmoil, with its rock-infused arrangement and echoing effects simulating ghostly presences across realities. Initially introduced in quieter acoustic form, it reprises in fuller ensembles to heighten tension during key narrative escalations. The soundtrack's standout horror elements include tracks like "Childeater" and "The Maw Part 1/2," which employ dark, pulsating synths and industrial noise to represent monstrous entities, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that propels the dramatic climax without traditional combat. These pieces use spatial audio and reverb to blur real and spirit worlds, enhancing the immersion central to the game's structure.

Performances and Legacy

Critical Reception

The Medium received generally positive reviews upon release, praised for its innovative dual-reality mechanics, atmospheric tension, and narrative depth, though criticized for uneven pacing, simplistic puzzles, and technical issues on some platforms. The PC version holds a score of 72/100 based on 42 critic reviews, with 55% positive, 40% mixed, and 5% negative ratings. The Xbox Series X/S version scores 71/100 from 33 reviews, while the port earned 69/100 from 13 reviews. awarded it 8/10, calling it a "brilliantly paced and palpably tense" psychological horror adventure that excels in thriller elements without filler. aggregates a 75/100 "Strong" rating from 196 reviews, with 64% recommending it for its sharp writing and next-gen visuals. Critics highlighted the game's haunting atmosphere inspired by Zdzisław Beksiński's art and its exploration of trauma and guilt, positioning it as a strong entry in Bloober Team's portfolio. However, some noted repetitive and clunky animations, with describing it as "all over the place mechanically" but emotionally resonant. User reception on is "Very Positive," with 84% of 3,738 reviews favorable as of November 2025. On , it holds a 7.1/10 rating from over 900 users. Scholarly and retrospective analyses praise The Medium for advancing narrative-driven horror without combat, influencing Bloober Team's subsequent projects like the 2024 Silent Hill 2 remake. Its focus on themes and dual realities has been noted for contributing to the genre's shift toward psychological immersion over jump scares.

Notable Productions and Revivals

The Medium launched on January 28, 2021, for Microsoft Windows via and Xbox Series X/S, with day-one availability on , which helped it recoup production and marketing costs within days of release. The version followed on September 3, 2021. No (DLC) or major updates were released, as confirmed by in February 2021. Commercially, the game generated an estimated $9 million in gross revenue and sold approximately 280,000 units across platforms as of late 2025, per Sensor Tower data. It contributed to Bloober Team's 2021 revenues surging nearly 300% year-over-year to 74.8 million PLN (about $18.3 million USD). In awards, The Medium won the 2022 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NATGTR) Award for Original Adventure Game and was nominated for Art Direction, Period Influence. A live-action was announced on July 30, 2025, with screenwriter (It, Annabelle) attached via his Coin Operated banner, in partnership with . Dauberman will produce, emphasizing the game's potential for cinematic . As of November 2025, the project remains in development without a director or release date confirmed. The game's legacy includes bolstering Bloober Team's reputation in horror, leading to partnerships like a 2022 deal with for new titles and the successful remake. It is credited with popularizing dual-reality mechanics in indie horror, influencing titles focused on trauma and the .

Recordings and Adaptations

Audio and Video Recordings

The official for The Medium was composed by and Arkadiusz Reikowski, blending rock, electronic, and orchestral elements to enhance the game's atmospheric horror. Released digitally on January 27, 2021, one day before the game's launch, it features 27 tracks spanning approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes. The album is available on platforms including , , and , with physical editions on CD and double vinyl released by Black Screen Records in November 2021. Notable tracks include "The Love That Was Lost," "," and "Goodbye Jack," which underscore key narrative moments and the dual-reality gameplay. The soundtrack received praise for its evocative , contributing to the game's immersive experience, and is also purchasable on as a digital download accompanying the game. As of November 2025, no additional audio recordings or remixes have been released, and video recordings of gameplay or cutscenes are limited to official trailers and fan captures available on , with no official full-playthrough video release from .

Film and Stage Adaptations

In July 2025, a live-action of The Medium was announced, with and producer —known for It (2017) and Annabelle (2014)—attached to write and produce under his Coin Operated banner. The project aims to translate the game's and dual-reality mechanics to the screen, set in post-communist during the 1990s, following spirit medium Marianne's investigation. expressed enthusiasm for the adaptation, highlighting the game's cinematic visuals as ideal for film. As of November 2025, the film remains in early development with no casting, director, or release date confirmed. No stage adaptations of the have been produced, though its narrative themes of trauma and the supernatural lend themselves to potential theatrical interpretations in the future.

References

  1. https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/30727/The-Medium-chamber-orchestra-accompaniment--Gian-Carlo-Menotti/
  2. https://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/gian-carlo-menotti-the-medium/
  3. https://operavision.eu/performance/medium
  4. https://www.planethugill.com/2017/01/dark-doings-menottis-medium-from.html
  5. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043794/
  6. https://tulsaopera.com/season/2023-24-season/themedium/
  7. https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/developer-interviews/how-the-medium-uses-next-gen-technology-to-deliver-dual-layered-horror
  8. https://www.blooberteam.com/the-medium
  9. https://www.ign.com/articles/the-medium-composers-explain-how-the-game-uses-next-gen-tech-for-sound
  10. https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/05/07/bloober-team-announces-the-medium-xbox-series-x/
  11. https://www.engadget.com/the-medium-xbox-series-pc-release-date-december-10-130010686.html
  12. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1293160/The_Medium/
  13. http://usopera.com/operas/medium.html
  14. https://www.opera-arias.com/menotti/the-medium/
  15. https://www.schmopera.com/the-medium-opera-as-film-noir/
  16. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-telephone--the-medium-1549
  17. https://time.com/archive/6792234/music-contralto-on-broadway/
  18. https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.111370
  19. https://www.musiccityreview.com/2022/11/03/voices-behind-the-gauze-nashville-operas-the-medium/
  20. https://chicagoclassicalreview.com/2014/11/third-eye-theatre-makes-outstanding-debut-with-menottis-the-medium/
  21. https://www.opera-arias.com/menotti/the-medium/libretto/
  22. https://themediumgame.com/
  23. https://hardcoregamer.com/features/checking-the-score/checking-the-score-the-medium/397318/
  24. https://gamemusic.net/the-minimalism/
  25. https://www.relyonhorror.com/reviews/review-the-medium/
  26. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-medium/
  27. https://www.ign.com/games/the-medium
  28. https://opencritic.com/game/10820/the-medium
  29. https://mashable.com/article/the-medium-review-video-game-bloober
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12587880/
  31. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-medium-is-profitable-after-just-a-few-days/1100-6486938/
  32. https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/no-plans-for-medium-dlc-bloober-team-says
  33. https://app.sensortower.com/vgi/game/the-medium
  34. https://www.tweaktown.com/news/85401/bloober-team-revenues-up-nearly-300-on-best-selling-the-medium-game/index.html
  35. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12587880/awards/
  36. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/gary-dauberman-spooky-video-game-the-medium-exclusive-1236333819/
  37. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/konami-and-i-the-medium-i-dev-bloober-team-partner-to-create-new-games
  38. https://arkadiuszreikowski.bandcamp.com/album/the-medium-original-game-soundtrack
  39. https://open.spotify.com/album/1WCLoPC1ya4zx14Vhov3px
  40. https://blackscreenrecords.com/products/the-medium-original-soundtrack-cd
  41. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1294560/The_Medium_Soundtrack/
  42. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/horror-game-the-medium-being-adapted-into-a-movie-from-until-dawn-writer/1100-6533564/
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