Thumbnail Thématiques  - 2

Numerous choreographers have delved into Shakespeare to find dramatic material for their ballets, beginning with Jean-Georges Noverre, an ardent defender of the “action ballet” and Marius Petipa, who was the first to use Mendelssohn’s stage music. George Balanchine, who also loved the score, would prove no exception. In 1962 he created his version of Shakespeare’s comedy for New York City Ballet. Faithful to the Bard’s vocabulary whilst adding a subtle touch of pantomime, he portrays a complex love story in two acts and six scenes. Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, become caught up in a domestic quarrel between the king of the elves and the queen of the fairies which results in the intervention of the mischievous Puck and his magic potion along with a troupe of amateur actors. The denouement is celebrated in the form of a grand virtuoso entertainment. One of George Balanchine’s rare narrative ballets, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is entering the Paris Opera Ballet’s repertoire. The sets and costumes for this production have been designed by another magician of the stage, Christian Lacroix.&nbsp;&nbsp; Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet, avec la participation des élèves de l’École de Danse Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de ParisA co-production of Opéra national de Paris and Telmondis With the participation of France Télévisions, NHK With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts And with the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: Vincent Bataillon© Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis - 2017

Titania: Queen of the Fairies Oberon: King of the Fairies Hermia: In love with Lysander Lysander: Beloved of Hermia Helena: In love with Demetrius Demetrius: Suitor to Hermia Hippolyta: Queen of the Amazons Theseus: Duke of Athens Bottom A weaver   Puck The first Butterfly Divertissement’s Principals

Le songe d'une nuit d'été

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Numerous choreographers have delved into Shakespeare to find dramatic material for their ballets, beginning with Jean-Georges Noverre, an ardent defender of the “action ballet” and Marius Petipa, who was the first to use Mendelssohn’s stage music. Ge

George Balanchine

Inspired by the character of Siddharta, Angelin Preljocaj offered in 2010 a new creation to the Paris Opera Ballet. The choreographer revisits the legend of this prince who became the 'enlightened one', or the Buddha, making a personal and free version, exploring the character's path to asceticism and sacrifice in his quest for truth. Beyond a simple tale, Preljocaj unveils the torments and the mysteries of this long inner path towards light, full of obstacles and doubts. For his fourth creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Angelin Preljocaj has gathered an incredible team of artists: Bruno Mantovani, author of a long symphonic poem, Eric Reinhardt for the libretto, visual artist Claude Lévêque, and finally Dominique Bruguière and Olivier Bériot for the lighting and costumes. Les Étoiles, les Premières Danseuses, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet de l’Opéra Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris.Coproduction Opéra national de Paris, LGM, MEZZO With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Centre National de la Cinématographie Director: Denis Caiozzi© SIDDHARTA (2010) &nbsp;Visuel © Ann Ray / OnP&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Siddharta

Inspired by the character of Siddharta, Angelin Preljocaj offered in 2010 a new creation to the Paris Opera Ballet. The choreographer revisits the legend of this prince who became the 'enlightened one', or the Buddha, making a personal and free versi

Angelin Preljocaj

Drawing on ancient Slavic and Norse mythology where destiny is often born out of the mysterious forces of nature, Swan Lake has become a legend in its own right. Tchaikovsky’s first ballet score is imbued with a deep sense of nostalgia, echoing the composer’s own experience of love as elusive as it was impossible. However the work remained misunderstood until 1895 when Marius Petipa undertook his own choreographic interpretation. With the help of Lev Ivanov, Petipa created majestic figures for the female corps de ballet and breathed life into the swan‑dancer. In Rudolf Nureyev’s “Freudian” version, conceived for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1984, Prince Siegfried, manipulated by the evil Rothbart, shuns the realities of power and marriage to take refuge in dreams where a magic lake symbolizing idealised love appears to him. Nureyev elevated the role of the prince to that of the heroine by giving him a deeper psychological dimension whilst opting to give this masterly action ballet a tragic denouement more in tune with its musical substance. Les Etoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet Orchestre de l’Opéra national de ParisA co-production of the Paris National Opera and François Roussillon et Associés with the participation of Medici.tv / MUSEEC, the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris National Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and with the assistance of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: François Roussillon© Opéra national de Paris - François Roussillon et Associés - 2016Visuel ©Loboff / OnP

Siegfried: Young prince in love with Odette, he swears fidelity to her and seeks to save her from her curse. Unfortunately he is deceived by Rothbart and Odile. Odette: Young princess transformed into a swan by Rothbart, only eternal love can free her. Odile: Rothbart’s daughter, she takes the appearance of Odette to trick Siegfried. Rothbart: A huge bird of prey, he transforms young women into swans and prevents Siegfried and Odette’s union. Wolfgang: The Prince’s tutor, he mysteriously disappears when Rothbart appears.

20161201-LAC-Loboff-06

Le Lac des cygnes

Swan Lake

Bastille salle

Performance at the Bastille Opera, from 10 December 2022 to 01 January 2023

Drawing on ancient Slavic and Norse mythology where destiny is often born out of the mysterious forces of nature, Swan Lake has become a legend in its own right. Tchaikovsky’s first ballet score is imbued with a deep sense of nostalgia, echoing the c

Rudolf Nureyev

Four contemporary choreographers come together for a programme that leads the Opera’s dancers to a new form of modernity where bodies vibrate with intensity. To open the evening, James Thierrée takes over the public areas of the Palais Garnier and introduces us to his dream-like world. Canada’s Crystal Pite returns with The Seasons’ Canon, a dazzling creation that thrilled audiences at the Palais Garnier last season. Spain’s Iván Pérez occupies the stage of the Opera for the first time with a creation for ten male dancers. To conclude the evening, Israel’s Hofesh Shechter, often lauded for his telluric, trance-evoking dances, offers a new version of his piece The Art of Not Looking Back.

Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet

A co-production of the Paris Opera, BEL AIR MEDIA and ARTE France With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Directors: Cédric Klapisch, Miguel Octave



© Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media / France 2018Visuel ©Agathe Poupeney / OnP

Soirée Thierrée / Shechter / Pérez / Pite

Four contemporary choreographers come together for a programme that leads the Opera’s dancers to a new form of modernity where bodies vibrate with intensity. To open the evening, James Thierrée takes over the public areas of the Palais Garnier and in

Thierrée / Shechter / Pérez / Pite

Thierrée / Shechter / Pérez / Pite Evening

"I like creating worlds that have never been seen before." - Alexander Ekman A sparkling personality on the contemporary dance scene, Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman has been invited for the first time to work with the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet. Trained at the Swedish Royal Ballet, he danced with the Nederlands Dans Theater and the Ballet Cullberg before turning to choreography. His language, both visceral and tinged with humour, combines theatricality and classical and contemporary vocabulary alike. Best known for the spectacular quality of his pieces with their dreamlike imagery, he fills the stage of the Palais Garnier with metallic structures, dancers suspended in space, elevations… A surprising production carried along by enticing rhythms and communicative energy.Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet Voice of Alan Watts from recordings on the Tao of Philosophy courtesy of alanwatts.orgA production of the Paris Opera, Bel Airt Média and SVT With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Tommy Pascal © OPÉRA NATIONAL DE PARIS - BEL AIR MEDIA - SVT – 2018 Visuel : © Ann Ray / OnP

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"I like creating worlds that have never been seen before." - Alexander EkmanA sparkling personality on the contemporary dance scene, Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman has been invited for the first time to work with the dancers of the Paris Opera

Alexander Ekman

Ballet in one prologue and three acts based on Alexandre Dumas fils’s novel&nbsp;&nbsp; Inspired by Alexandre Dumas Jr.’s novel, John Neumeier extracted the romantic essence of the story to deliver the tragic intimacy of its heroine, Marguerite Gautier. He paints characters of intense psychological depths and gives a body to the emotions of the famous courtesan. Throughout sumptuous ball scenes and sublime pas de deux the choreographer intertwines memories with dreams and connects Marguerite and Armand’s fate to the one of Manon Lescaut and the Chevalier des Grieux. Chopin’s score instils its own interiority into the ballet, while the costumes and decors designed by Jürgen Rose inhale the scent of a past era. Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet Orchestre de l’Opéra national de ParisA Paris Opera and LGM coproduction with the support of France 3 and the Centre National de la Cinématographie. Director: Thomas Grimm© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS – LGM 2008Visuel © Svetlana Loboff / OnP&nbsp;&nbsp;

La Dame aux camélias

Ballet in one prologue and three acts based on Alexandre Dumas fils’s novel&nbsp;&nbsp;Inspired by Alexandre Dumas Jr.’s novel, John Neumeier extracted the romantic essence of the story to deliver the tragic intimacy of its heroine, Marguerite Gautie

John Neumeier

A legendary and fantastical Persia becomes the backdrop of the thwarted love triangle uniting the hunter Djémil, the beautiful Nouredda - engaged to the Khan- and Naïla, the water sprite. In his first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Etoile dancer Jean-Guillaume Bart revived an almost-forgotten ballet of the repertoire, originally premiered in 1866 at the Paris Opera. In a close collaboration with playwright Clément Hervieu-Léger, Jean-Guillaume Bart gave back to La Source its original freshness. He created a wonderful danced tale, poetic and virtuosic, enhanced by Christian Lacroix’s flamboyant costumes and Eric Ruf’s evocative stage set. Les Etoiles, Les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A co-production of the Paris National Opera - François Roussillon et Associés - 2011 With the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the CNC and the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts. Director: François Roussillon Visuel ©Anne Deniau / OnP

La Source 

A legendary and fantastical Persia becomes the backdrop of the thwarted love triangle uniting the hunter Djémil, the beautiful Nouredda - engaged to the Khan- and Naïla, the water sprite. In his first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Etoile dance

Jean-Guillaume Bart

Both similar and different, two French composers and two choreographers of the New York City Ballet – Georges Balanchine who founded it and Benjamin Millepied who was trained there- are the heart of this evening. Georges Balanchine set his first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947 to an early work by Bizet, Le Palais de cristal, as a tribute to the company and the French ballet tradition. A refine work intrinsically connected to music, this piece is a model of academic virtuosity, unfolding in the wonderful case designed by an artist of colours and lights, Christian Lacroix. With Daphnis and Chloe, Benjamin Millepied offered his third creation to the Paris Opera Ballet, reviving the myth with the help of his friend Daniel Buren. Inspired by Balanchine, the choreographer drew his inspiration on the rhythms and colours of a “chorographical symphony” by Ravel for orchestra and chorus. These masterpieces of French music are conducted by Philippe Jordan who accompanies, for the first time, the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet.Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris A co-production of the Paris Opera, Telmondis and Mezzo With the participation of France Télévisions - With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts and with the assistance of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: François Goetghebeur© OPÉRA NATIONAL DE PARIS – TELMONDIS - MEZZO - 2014Visuel ©Agathe Poupeney / OnP

Daphnis et Chloé - 17

George Balanchine / Benjamin Millepied Evening

Both similar and different, two French composers and two choreographers of the New York City Ballet – Georges Balanchine who founded it and Benjamin Millepied who was trained there- are the heart of this evening. Georges Balanchine set his first crea

George Balanchine, Benjamin Millepied

A comic yet tragic universal figure lost in his own world and out of place in the world of his contemporaries, ridiculous yet imposing, admirable yet pitiful, Don Quixote knows neither deceitfulness, abnegation, nor betrayal. The loss of his ideals and the surrender of principles: this was the death of Don Quixote. From the 17th century onwards, the character has inspired numerous avatars, not just literary ones, but in the fields of music and dance too. Their authors only had to draw from the abundance of episodes in the Cervantes novel—a veritable catalogue of adventures and anecdotes—which never fails to provide subject matter for artists short on inspiration. During the 19th century, all of Spain became a source of artistic creativity, almost to the point of cliché. Harsh, noble or picturesque, the work offers the best of itself through Mérimée’s pen, Bizet’s baton or Edouard Manet’s brush. With Marius Petipa, it gave rise to several ballets, including the famous Don Quixote. In Moscow and then Saint Petersburg, it was the same resounding success in successive adaptations by Petipa himself or by Alexander Gorski. The episode from the novel retained by the choreographer, the wedding of Kitri and Basil, paints the happiest aspect of the story. The shimmering colours and the character dances, together with the whirlwind of gypsies and beautiful Andalusian girls, were a huge success with audiences, won over as much by the new choreographic style as by the Iberian exoticism. In the following century, a young dancer by the name of Rudolf Nureyev would himself triumph in the very ballet that made the the Russian School famous. His memories of the work would accompany him to France where he revived it. In 1966, Nureyev staged his version of Don Quixote for the vienna Opera Ballet, before revising it for its entry into the repertoire of the Paris Opera in 1981. Since then, the Knight of the sad face has never really left the stage of the Opera. Presented since 2002 with new sets and costumes inspired by the paintings of Goya, each of its appearances enjoys the same endlessly renewed triumph. Les Etoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet Orchestre de l’Opéra national de ParisA co-production of Opéra de Paris Production, ARTE France and François Roussillon et Associés with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the assistance of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée. Director: François Roussillon© 2012 – OPERA DE PARIS PRODUCTION – ARTE France – FRANCOIS ROUSSILLON ET ASSOCIESVisuel ©Julien Benhamou / OnP

Kitri: Lorenzo’s daughter, in love with Basilio but betrothed to Gamache Basilio: Penniless barber, in love with Kitri Don Quixote: Knight errant who sets out to conquer the world Camacho: Rich peasant, betrothed to Kitri Lorenzo: Innkeeper, Kitri’s father Sancho Panza: Don Quichotte’s loyal squire The Queen of the Dryads: Nymph and guardian of the forests

Don Quichotte

A comic yet tragic universal figure lost in his own world and out of place in the world of his contemporaries, ridiculous yet imposing, admirable yet pitiful, Don Quixote knows neither deceitfulness, abnegation, nor betrayal. The loss of his ideals a

Rudolf Noureev

Inspired by L’Abbé Prévost’s legendary heroes, Kenneth MacMillan expresses his fascination for lost characters and dramatic subjects. The choreographer stays faithful to the novel’s plot and reconstructs the tragic story of the sensual yet naïve creature who is more victim than demiurge of her own fate. In Regency Paris, bourgeois society gorges itself on luxury and easy pleasures. Swept by this swirl, Manon can’t resist the temptations, dragging down with her her faithful lover Des Grieux. The choreographer structures his ballet on a mosaic of extracts by Massenet, choosing a music that brings drama, freshness and romance necessary to this great dance fresco. The crowd and ball scenes are followed by intimate, lively pas de deux, right up to the ballet’s sublime and tragic end. This recording was made during the farewell to the stage of the Dancer Etoile Aurélie Dupont. Avec les Etoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris Orchestre de l'Opéra national de ParisA co-production of the Paris Opera, La Belle Télé and Mezzo With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Cédric Klapisch Co-director: Miguel Octave© Opéra national de Paris – La Belle Télé – Mezzo - 2015Visuel ©Anne Deniau / OnP

2014-15-MANON-251  (Dupont & Bollé) (c)Julien Benhamou-OnP

L'Histoire de Manon

Palais-Garnier-1--c--Jean-pierre-Delagarde--Opera-national-de-paris

Performance at the Palais Garnier, from 19 June to 15 July 2023

Inspired by L’Abbé Prévost’s legendary heroes, Kenneth MacMillan expresses his fascination for lost characters and dramatic subjects. The choreographer stays faithful to the novel’s plot and reconstructs the tragic story of the sensual yet naïve crea

Kenneth MacMillan

Ballet

Thumbnail Thématiques  - 3

Beginning his opera with a prelude for strings of unprecedented economy of means, in 1853, Verdi affirmed his intention of defying conventions and norms. This is not the least radical aspect of his “Traviata”, which implacably strips bare the violence of a society that promotes worldly pleasures only to sacrifice an innocent woman on the altar of bourgeois morality.Simon Stone delights in grappling with the major works Simon Stone delights in grappling with the major works of the repertoire, enticing them into more intimate territory. One of today’s most distinguished stage directors, he now makes his long-awaited debut at the Paris Opera. Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de ParisA co-production of the Paris Opera, François Roussillon et Associés with the participation of medici.tv With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: François Roussillon© Opéra national de Paris – François Roussillon et Associés - 2019Visuel ©Charles Duprat / OnP

Violetta Valery: A Parisian demimondaine Alfredo Germont: A young bourgeois from a provincial family, Violetta’s lover Giorgio Germont: Alfredo’s father Flora Bervoix: Violetta’s friend Annina: Violetta’s maid Le baron Douphol: Violetta’s protector Le marquis d’Obigny: Flora’s lover Gaston de Letorières: Alfredo’s friend Doctor Grenv: Violetta’s doctor

La traviata | Opera chez soi

La Traviata

Beginning his opera with a prelude for strings of unprecedented economy of means, in 1853, Verdi affirmed his intention of defying conventions and norms. This is not the least radical aspect of his “Traviata”, which implacably strips bare the violenc

Giuseppe Verdi

“Carmen will never surrender, born free, free will she die”cries Bizet’s heroine to Don José at the end of the opera. This irrepressible freedom, coupled with a need to live ever more intensely on a knife-edge, is present in Calixto Bieito’s production as in no other. Of Mérimée’s character, Bieito’s Carmen retains her thoroughly Iberian contours and the burning temperament of a woman who lives by small-time trafficking. However, the rebel bird is essentially a creature of our own times. A brazen and indomitable seductress and a product of social and masculine brutality, she lives life in the fast lane, avid for existence. Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine / Chœur d’enfants de l’Opéra national de Paris A co-production of the Opéra national de Paris and Camera lucida productions. With the participation of France Télévisions, in partnership with Radio Classique. With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: François-René Martin © Opéra national de Paris - Camera lucida productions - 2017 Visuel ©Vincet Pontet / OnP

Carmen: A gypsy girl, working as a cigar-maker in a tobacco factory in Seville Don José: A soldier and Carmen’s lover who deserts the army for her Micaela: A young girl originally from Don José’s village Escamillo: A toreador and one of Carmen’s lovers Frasquita and Mercedes: Two gypsy girls who are friends of Carmen Zuniga: Don José’s superior officer Morales: A regimental comrade of Don José Le Dancaïre and Remendado: Two smugglers

Carmen

Performance at the Bastille Opera, from 15 june to 25 february 2022

“Carmen will never surrender, born free, free will she die”cries Bizet’s heroine to Don José at the end of the opera. This irrepressible freedom, coupled with a need to live ever more intensely on a knife-edge, is present in Calixto Bieito’s producti

Georges Bizet

Of Shostakovich’s initial undertaking – a trilogy on the tragic destinies of Russian women through the ages – only one opera was ever written: the hard-hitting Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Although one of the mainsprings of the work, the Shakespearean parallel is here bitterly ironic: unlike Lady Macbeth, Katerina Ismaïlova who, in the remote reaches of rural 19th century Russia, falls in love with one of her husband’s employees and is finally forced to commit suicide, is less a manipulator than a victim of a violent and patriarchal society. Krzysztof Warlikowski liberates all the subversive power of this scorching and scandalous work, which marked the early years of the Opéra Bastille. Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de Paris. A co-production of the Opéra national de Paris, Telmondis and Mezzo With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre national du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée. Director: Stéphane Metge© Opéra national de Paris – Telmondis – Mezzo - 2019Visuel ©Bernd Uhlig / OnP

Boris Timofeyevich Izmailov: Owner of an industrial slaughterhouse Zinoviy Borisovich Izmailov: Son of Boris and heir to the business Katerina Lvovna Ismailova: Zinoviy’s wife Sergei: An employee of the Izmailovs and Katerina’s lover Aksinya: A young girl in the Izmailovs’ service A shabby peasant: A worker in the Izmailovs’ service who is drunk most of the time The orthodox priest The police commissioner Sonietka: A young prisoner

Lady Macbeth de Mzensk

Of Shostakovich’s initial undertaking – a trilogy on the tragic destinies of Russian women through the ages – only one opera was ever written: the hard-hitting Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Although one of the mainsprings of the work, the Shakespearean pa

Dmitri Chostakovitch

A children’s tale for some and a profound meditation on life and death for others, Mozart’s last opera is a dazzling extravaganza that takes the form of an initiatory tale. The protagonists include a prince from a far-off land in search of a slightly suicidal princess, a giant snake, a boastful bird catcher, the Queen of the Night and a mysterious High Priest who prescribes strange rites of passage… Consonant with German comic-opera and enriched by the philosophy of the Enlightenment, Die Zauberflöte touches on the major themes of the 18th century: education, morality, religion, culture, and nature. In an elegant production of unspoilt simplicity, director Robert Carsen leads us through the four seasons and invting us to reflect on life as Death becomes our reassuring and consoling “best friend”. Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris Coproduction with le Festspielhaus, Baden-BadenA production of the Paris National Opera. With the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts and the support of EY, principal sponsor of the Paris Opera© Opéra national de Paris - 2021Visuel © Agathe Poupeney / OnP

Tamino: In love with Pamina Papageno: Bird-catcher in the service of the Queen of the Night Sarastro: High Priest in the Temple of Wisdom La Reine de la Nuit: Pamina’s mother Pamina: The Queen of the Night’s daughter Monostatos: Sarastro’s servant Papagena: Promised to Papageno Les trois Dames: In the service of the Queen of the Night

La Flûte Enchantée

The Magic Flute

A children’s tale for some and a profound meditation on life and death for others, Mozart’s last opera is a dazzling extravaganza that takes the form of an initiatory tale. The protagonists include a prince from a far-off land in search of a slightly

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The magic flute

"To sharpen the mind of the most doleful of women and suddenly make her shrewd, all it takes is to lock her away and the deed is done." - Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Act I, scene 11 “The Barber is one of the century's masterpieces”. These words were written by the very Berlioz who in his youth had denounced not only Rossini, but also the “fanaticism he aroused in the fashionable circles of Paris”. Accordingly, the compliment, “repeated until exhaustion” – the composer's own words – is all the greater. The work was so “brilliant” and “so finely orchestrated” that the “dilettanti of Rome”, enraged by the “slightest unforeseen innovation in melody, harmony, rhythm or instrumentation were ready to kill the young maestro”. Il Barbiere di Siviglia has been performed continually since its turbulent premiere on February 16th 1816. The composer's opera buffa transcends the spirit of Beaumarchais’ comedy and combines the absurd with a touch of satirical realism in a score where rhythm and virtuosity place the comic effects in an ongoing dramatic narration. As a result, the characters – Rosina in particular – gain a new degree of realism and break with the usual archetypes. Damiano Michieletto’s giddying production embraces this perpetual motion and carries in its wake the happy couple formed by René Barbera and Karine Deshayes. Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus A co-production of the Paris National Opera and A Prime Group, with the participation of France Télévisions, with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris National Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director : François Goetghebeur © Opéra national de Paris - A Prime Group - France 2015

Count Almaviva: A young Spanish nobleman in love with Rosina Bartolo: An old greybeard who is Rosina’s guardian Rosina: Bartolo’s ward Figaro: Bartolo’s barber, formerly in the service of Count Almaviva Don Basilio: Rosina’s music teacher Fiorello: The Count’s servant Bertha: Bartolo’s old maid

Barbier de Séville

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

"To sharpen the mind of the most doleful of women and suddenly make her shrewd, all it takes is to lock her away and the deed is done." - Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Act I, scene 11“The Barber is one of the century's masterpieces”. These words were writ

Gioacchino Rossini

The mysterious, unwavering chant of the English horn, punctuated by notes from the bassoon and the clarinet, follows its chromatic descent over twenty bars as if plunging into an unknown world. A world where Iolanta has lived in seclusion since her birth. She is unwittingly blind, since no one has the right to reveal the fact to her. This simple tale of collective denial at the court of Provence as narrated by the Danish writer Henrik Hertz in his play King René’s Daughter, was discovered by Tchaikovsky in 1883. However, moved beyond words by the presence of the young actress Elena Konstantinova Leshkovskaya in the title role, it would be another five years before the composer decided to transform it into an opera. Should we believe him when he claims that “the dukes, knights and noble damsels of the Middle Ages had captivated his imagination, but not his heart”? Would the fate of the heroine, like a rite of passage from darkness to light, from lies to truth, not rekindle his own wounds which ended up carrying him to his grave less than a year after the double premiere of Iolanta and The Nutcracker at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre on December 18th 1892? Directed for the stage by Dmitri Tcherniakov, this exceptional programme combines all the talents of the Paris Opera and offers an opera and a ballet in a single evening: Tchaikovsky originally intended Iolanta and The Nutcracker to be staged together. However, since their debut performance at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre in 1892, they have been presented separately. The composer found inspiration for his opera in Danish playwright Henrik Hertz’s work recounting the romantic story of Iolanta, the blind daughter of King René. Protected by her father in his Provençal château, the princess ultimately regains her sight before marrying the gallant knight Vaudémont. The Nutcracker is based on a tale by Hoffmann adapted by Alexandre Dumas. Like a two-sided mirror reflecting the dreams of a composer who took refuge in the realms of the imaginary, the Paris Opera is reviving the original diptych. Alain Altinoglu conducts and Dmitri Tcherniakov stages this production that symbolises the link between opera and ballet. Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris Le Corps de Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine Chœur d’enfants de l’Opéra national de Paris Avec la participation d’élèves d’écoles de danse parisiennes.Une coproduction Opéra national de Paris et Bel Air Media With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the audiovisual retransmissions of the Paris National Opera, and the National Center for Cinema and Moving Images. Director : Andy Sommer© Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media – France 2016Visuel ©Agathe Poupeney / OnP&nbsp;&nbsp;

Iolanta / Casse-Noisette - 5

Iolanta / The Nutcracker

The mysterious, unwavering chant of the English horn, punctuated by notes from the bassoon and the clarinet, follows its chromatic descent over twenty bars as if plunging into an unknown world. A world where Iolanta has lived in seclusion since her b

Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

Iolanta/The Nutcracker

Opera-ballet in four entries and a prologue (1735) A masterpiece of the Enlightenment, Les Indes galantes is a sparkling entertainment. Yet Rameau’s first opera‑ballet also testifies to the ambiguous view held by Europeans concerning other peoples – Turks, Incas, Persians, “Savages”… In 2017, film director Clément Cogitore made an explosive and critically acclaimed film adaptation of an extract from Les Indes galantes in collaboration with the Krump dancers. This time, with choreographer Bintou Dembélé, he takes up Rameau’s box of delights in its entirety to set it once more in an urban and political space whose frontiers he explores. Orchestre Cappella Mediterranea Chœur de chambre de Namur Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine / Chœur d’enfants de l’Opéra national de Paris Compagnie RualitéA co-production of the Paris Opera, ARTE France, Telmondis and Mezzo, with the support of the CNC and the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts. Director: François-René Martin© Opéra national de Paris – ARTE France - Telmondis – Mezzo - 2019Visuel ©Little Shao / OnP&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hebe: Goddess of youth Bellone: Goddess of war L’Amour Osman: Turkish pasha Emilie: Young Provençal girl, Osman’s slave Valère: Emilie’s lover Huascar: High priest of the Sun Phani: Peruvian princess Don Carlos: Spanish office Tacmas: Persian prince, in love with Zaïre Ali: Tacmas’ friend and confidant, in love with Fatime Zaïre: Ali’s slave Fatime: Tacmas’ slave Adario: Chief of the Indian warriors Zima: Daughter of an Indian chief Damon: French colonial officer Don Alvar: Spanish colonial officer

Les Indes galantes

Opera-ballet in four entries and a prologue (1735)A masterpiece of the Enlightenment, Les Indes galantes is a sparkling entertainment. Yet Rameau’s first opera‑ballet also testifies to the ambiguous view held by Europeans concerning other peoples – T

Jean-Philippe Rameau

What is this flame that compels Don Giovanni to seduce, subjugate and conquer women one after the other, with the fervour and cold indifference of a predator securing his prey; to pursue through his conquests some obscure and ever‑elusive objective? For his second collaboration with Da Ponte, Mozart was to brand the history of opera with a hot iron and forever haunt European culture. In this Libertine Punished, Kierkegaard invites us to hear “the whisperings of temptation, the whirlwind of seduction, the silence of the moment”. The Mozart-Da Ponte cycle continues with a Don Giovanni entrusted to director Ivo Van Hove, accustomed to examining the political meaning of works. Orchestra and Chorus of the National Opera of Paris. A co-production of the Opéra national de Paris and Bel air media. With the participation of France Télévisions. With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director : Don Kent © Opéra de Paris - Bel air media - 2019 Visuel ©Charles Duprat / OnP

Don Giovanni: A rake who revels in female conquests Leporello: Don Giovanni’s valet Donna Anna: A young woman assaulted by Don Giovanni Don Ottavio: Donna Anna’s fiancé The Commendatore: Donna Anna’s father, killed by Don Giovanni Donna Elvira: A former conquest of Don Giovanni Zerlina: A young woman of modest means Masetto: Zerlina’s fiancé

Don Giovanni (saison 18/19) - Jacquelyn Wagner (Donna Anna), Étienne Dupuis (Don Giovanni), Philippe Sly (Leporello)

Don Giovanni (saison 18/19) - 20

Don Giovanni

What is this flame that compels Don Giovanni to seduce, subjugate and conquer women one after the other, with the fervour and cold indifference of a predator securing his prey; to pursue through his conquests some obscure and ever‑elusive objective? 

Prompted by Don Alfonso, a cynical old philosopher, two young idealists decide to put their lovers’ fidelity to the test. But love will teach them a bitter lesson: those who believe themselves phoenixes and goddesses will discover the desires of the flesh… In 1790, one year after the French Revolution, in what would be their final collaboration, Mozart and Da Ponte conduct a scientific investigation of love.The music of Così fan tutte is truly extraordinary – complex in its symmetry, jovial and yet infused with an almost sacred melancholia. An extraordinary score where each note seems intended to make us accept a loss – lost paradise, lost youth, or a lost loved-one – and portray a world where all is in a constant state of flux. This laboratory of eroticism could but inspire choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, who excels in revealing a work’s innermost geometry on stage. With six singers doubled by six dancers, she depicts the desire which unites and separates human beings, like the interactions between atoms that, once broken, make new bonds possibleWith the Paris Opera Orchestra and Choruses A Paris Opera, Telmondis and Mezzo co-production Associate producer Idéale Audience With the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the audiovisual broadcastings at the Paris Opera and the help of the CNC (National Centre for Cinema and the Animated Image) Director: Louise Narboni© Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis - Mezzo - 2017Visuel ©Agathe Poupeney / OnP&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ferrando, Guglielmo: Two young officers Fiordiligi: Guglielmo’s fiancée Dorabella: Fiordiligi’s sister, Ferrando’s fiancée Don Alfonso: Philosopher, friend of Ferrando and Guglielmo Despina: Fiordiligi and Dorabella’s chambermaid

cosi

Così fan tutte

Prompted by Don Alfonso, a cynical old philosopher, two young idealists decide to put their lovers’ fidelity to the test. But love will teach them a bitter lesson: those who believe themselves phoenixes and goddesses will discover the desires of the 

By the time he came to tackle the composition of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Offenbach’s opus already included more than a hundred operas. Left unfinished when he died during rehearsals in October 1880, his last work combines fantasy, gravity and humour in an unexpectedly innovative synthesis of opera buffa, romantic opera and grand opera. This adaptation of three tales by E.T.A. Hoffmann, with a sprinkling of Goethe’s Faust, portrays the German poet as both narrator and hero recounting his love affairs with Olympia, Antonia and Giuletta. Robert Carsen’s spectacular production highlights the melancholy genius of a man marked by life, with a coherence and dramatic sense remarkable for a work that leaves numerous questions unanswered. Under the baton of Philippe Jordan, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Ermonela Jaho, Kate Aldrich, Yann Beuron and Ramón Vargas , interpret the legendary airs of this work whose brilliant mystery will continue to dazzle opera houses for countless years to come. Orchestra and Choirs of the Opéra national de Paris A co-production of the Paris Opera - François Roussillon et Associés With the participation of France Télévisions, with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and with the assistance of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: François Roussillon© - 2016 - OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS – FRANCOIS ROUSSILLON ET ASSOCIESVisuel ©Julien Benhamou / OnP

Hoffmann: Poet and composer The Muse, Nicklausse: Hoffmann’s muse who has taken human form Counsellor Lindorf: Politician who lusts after the singer Stella Olympia: Mechanical doll Spalanzani: Eccentric inventor, Olympia’s “father” Coppélius: Hawker who supplied the doll’s eyes Cochenille: Spalanzani’s assistant Antonia: Young singer engaged to Hoffmann Crespel: Violinist, Antonia’s father Doctor Miracle: Evil charlatan Frantz: Crespel’s servant Giulietta: Venetian courtesan Dapertutto: Venetian magician Schlémil: Former lover of Giulietta Pitichinaccio: Giulietta’s servant Nathanaël, Hermann: Friends of Hoffmann Luther: Innkeeper

Contes d'Hoffmann - 3

Les Contes d'Hoffmann

By the time he came to tackle the composition of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Offenbach’s opus already included more than a hundred operas. Left unfinished when he died during rehearsals in October 1880, his last work combines fantasy, gravity and humour i

 Jacques Offenbach

Opera

Thumbnail Thématiques  - 1

To celebrate the Music Day’s 35th anniversary, the Paris Opera gave on 21 June 2016 an exceptional concert at the Bastille Opera House.The program included excerpts of 19th century French and Italian classic repertoire, such as Verdi’s famous operas (Aida, Nabucco, La Forza del Destino, Il Trovatore and La Travaita), Bizet’s Carmen, Pucini’s Tosca, Saint- Saëns’s Samson and Delilah, Bellini’s Norma. This program featured the Paris Opera Orchestra and Choruses, conducted by Philippe Jordan, and three exceptional soloists: Sondra Radvanovsky, Anita Rachvelishvili and Aleksandr Antonenko.A co-production of the Paris Opera, Telmondis, ARTE France With the support of the Centre national du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée and the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts Director: François-René Martin© Opéra national de Paris – Telmondis – Arte France 2016

Concert symphonique

Exceptional lyric concert

To celebrate the Music Day’s 35th anniversary, the Paris Opera gave on 21 June 2016 an exceptional concert at the Bastille Opera House.The program included excerpts of 19th century French and Italian classic repertoire, such as Verdi’s famous operas 

Verdi, Puccini, Saint-Saëns, Bizet, Bellini

Cette soirée réunit un florilège d’extraits d’opéras et invite à retrouver grands airs, duos, ensembles, interludes musicaux d’un répertoire riche et éclectique. De Carmen de Georges Bizet à Doctor Atomic de John Adams, de Lohengrin de Richard Wagner à Ainadamar de Osvaldo Golijov, du Chevalier à la rose de Richard Strauss à Falstaff de Giuseppe Verdi, de La Vida breve de Manuel De Falla à Peter Grimes de Benjamin Britten, Gustavo Dudamel dirige l’Orchestre, les artistes des Choeurs et de l’Académie ainsi que des solistes invités. Une véritable célébration musicale pour la première édition de ce concert exceptionnel. Avec l'Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris, les Chœurs de l’Opéra national de Paris, la Maîtrise des Hauts de Seine / Chœur d’enfant de l’Opéra national de Paris.Coproduction Opéra national de Paris et Caméra Lucida, avec la participation de France télévisions, Mezzo et Medici.tv avec le soutien du CNC et de la Fondation Orange, mécène des retransmissions audiovisuelles de l'Opéra national de Paris. Réalisateur : François-René Martin

Concert inaugural - 1

Opening concert of the 21/22 season

Cette soirée réunit un florilège d’extraits d’opéras et invite à retrouver grands airs, duos, ensembles, interludes musicaux d’un répertoire riche et éclectique. De Carmen de Georges Bizet à Doctor Atomic de John Adams, de Lohengrin de Richard Wagner

Gustavo Dudamel

Concert inaugural Season 21/22

Beethoven’s symphony No.1 holds a unique place in the history of this genre, not only because it opens a series of symphonies amongst the most significant monuments of music’s history - and contains the germs of many of its components - but also because, due to this very fact, it represents a fundamental junction point between the tradition of classical symphony (Mozart, Haydn) – of which it keeps constitutive features -, and what we could name the Romantic aesthetic, that will be deployed after and from it. The year of its creation is even a symbolic one: 1800, the pivotal moment holding together two centuries. Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2014Visuel ©Jean-François Leclercq / OnP

jordan

Jordan

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°1

Beethoven’s symphony  No.1 holds a unique place in the history of this genre, not only because it opens a series of symphonies amongst the most significant monuments of music’s history - and contains the germs of many of its components - but also bec

Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven delved into the symphonic genre rather late in his life. He was already 30 years old when he achieved his first Symphony (1800), after a long preparatory period. The reason is, he is then facing two imposing influences of the genre, Mozart and Haydn, and is not considering a frontal approach yet. His innovations are surreptitiously disturbing symmetries, intensifying dynamics and disrupting rhythms. His Symphony No.3 (1805) will decisively settle the typical Beethovian style, something perfectly reflected in the title “Eroica”. This is the emergence of a different relationship to dramatic scansion of pure music and to the temporal development of “historical” powers (as we could qualify them). Between these two movements of the Creation of Symphony, the Symphony No.2 found the right balance, a miracle too often neglected: it overcomes the ambivalent reaction to tradition to better assert the freedom of an event yet to come. Maynard Solomon, who wrote major essays on Beethoven, described it as “a both retrospective and prospective work”.Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2014Visuel ©Jean-François Leclercq / OnP

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°2

Beethoven delved into the symphonic genre rather late in his life. He was already 30 years old when he achieved his first Symphony (1800), after a long preparatory period. The reason is, he is then facing two imposing influences of the genre, Mozart 

During the fall 1802, Beethoven is living one of the most serious crises of his life, as tragically witnesses the Heiligenstadt Testament. Aware that his growing deafness will not be cured, increasingly isolated from the outside world of people and sounds, he contemplated suicide: “A little more and I would have ended me life, it was only my art that held me back. Ah, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt was within me.” This artistic impulsion that saved his life gave birth to the Symphony No. 3 in E♭ major “Eroica”, op 55, on which he began to work in 1802, while the Symphony No. 2 was not achieved yet. He completed the work of his “Grande Sinfonia” during the summer 1803 and presented a first version in the fall. His friend and patron Prince Lobkowitz bought him the work’s exclusive rights for six months and offered him a rehearsal room and an orchestra in his palace. Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2014 Visuel ©Jean-François Leclercq / OnP

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°3

During the fall 1802, Beethoven is living one of the most serious crises of his life, as tragically witnesses the Heiligenstadt Testament. Aware that his growing deafness will not be cured, increasingly isolated from the outside world of people and s

The Fourth Symphony probably suffered a little from being caught in an imposing vice, between the Third and Fifth. That one carried real revolutionary forces; this one opened an era of titanic struggle with destiny, a literally unheard-of language whose path will be increasingly steep and lonely over the years. None of this, apparently, in the Fourth, where Beethoven seems to affirm that beyond the audacity of his experiments, he still possesses a perfect mastery of "classical" writing. Forgoing the frontal apostrophe, the opening Adagio develops an atmosphere of romantic mystery (not unlike the beginning of Mahler's First Symphony), with ample melodic lines and harmonious rhythm. The Allegro vivace, although structured by the opposition of a principal motive and two secondary motives arranged in canon, unfolds as if in a single stroke, a movement closed in on itself in an autonomy that Beethoven is increasingly renouncing. The Adagio of the second movement also possesses this melodic amplitude which gives the main theme, over eight bars, a cantabile character touching on the sublime, while the rhythmic structures gradually become more complex. The Scherzo recaptures the playful spirit of the first movement, playing with a kind of playfulness between binary and ternary rhythms; the Trio, of particularly simple structure, recalls the tone of the secondary themes heard in the first Allegro vivace.Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2014Visuel ©Jean-François Leclercq / OnP

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°4

The Fourth Symphony probably suffered a little from being caught in an imposing vice, between the Third and Fifth. That one carried real revolutionary forces; this one opened an era of titanic struggle with destiny, a literally unheard-of language wh

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 represents a spectacular milestone in the history of symphonic form, after which it would be impossible to turn backwards. The composer once and for all rejects the static, architectural organization inherent of the classical symphony (where entirely independent movements are organized and harmonized with one another), and chooses instead to develop a purely dynamic conception of his work. These movements from minor to major, from shadow to light, from conflict to victory (metaphorically) are the most obvious traits of such a progression. But on a deeper level, the real challenge here is the emergence of a new form of musical time. In the classical period, music (as many other forms of expression) consisted in the submission of a material to an order of succession, but whose power of organization existed outside of time, or was above it: the logical discursive order, rhetoric being the absolute model. With Beethoven, a work’s musical time is structured as an interdependent and specific event, based on an internal logic as a vital development: Beethoven goes from an organization to an organism, from metric to dynamic. Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2014Visuel ©Jean-François Leclercq / OnP

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°5

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 represents a spectacular milestone in the history of symphonic form, after which it would be impossible to turn backwards. The composer once and for all rejects the static, architectural organization inherent of the classical

The Symphonies No.6 in F major “Pastoral”, op 68 and No.8 in F major, op 93 have been composed and premiered together, on 22 December 1808 at the Theater an der Wien, during a marathon concert that lasted more than 4 hours and was organized as a farewell concert to Vienna (Beethoven was supposed to leave the capital for Kassel, to join the court of Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia. But the project was cancelled at the last minute). The evening program included Beethoven’s “Great Symphony” in C minor and a Symphony titled “Memories of life at the countryside” in F major, in the reverse numerical order that the one we know today. But when the scores were published by Breitkopf &  Hartel in April 1809, they were given their final number. Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2015

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°6

The Symphonies No.6 in F major “Pastoral”, op 68 and No.8 in F major, op 93 have been composed and premiered together, on 22 December 1808 at the Theater an der Wien, during a marathon concert that lasted more than 4 hours and was organized as a fare

The Symphony No. 7 's first draft is dated 13 May 1812. A week later, Napoleon called the German Princes gathered in Dresden to engage their troops in the attack launched against Russia. Like the Symphony No.3, called “Eroica” (first dedicated in 1802 to “the memory of a great man”, aka the First Consul Bonaparte who, when he became Emperor, was dead to the composer), or the concerto for piano No.5 (that Beethoven never chose to title The Emperor, and that he dedicated in 1810 to the Archduke of Austria instead, when Europe was swept by Napoleonic seaquakes), the Symphony No.7 evokes historical great powers, much more than the alleged passion for Antonie Brentano, as it’s often said. The work would rest one year and a half concealed in Beethoven’s drawers, at a time when Austria was threatened by France. The Battle of Leipzig, in October 1813, gave the advantage to the Coalition armies, but French invasion kept on progressing in Russia. Johann Nepomuk  Maelzel – inventor of the metronome, the panharmonicon (an automaton able to play the musical instruments of an orchestra) and of a useless hearing aid for Beethoven- convinced Beethoven to take part in a charity concert for soldiers wounded in the Battle of Hanau. The concert took place on 8 December 1813. Beethoven conducted the Premiere of his Seventh Symphony, along with his Wellington’s Victory (composed for this panharmonicon instrument, but performed for the occasion by the orchestra), and Pleyel’s and Dussek’s Marches. The orchestra included some of the finest musicians of their time, with Johann Hummel, Antonio Salieri and Ludwig Spohr. Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2014Visuel ©Jean-François Leclercq / OnP

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°7

The Symphony No. 7 's first draft is dated 13 May 1812. A week later, Napoleon called the German Princes gathered in Dresden to engage their troops in the attack launched against Russia. Like the Symphony No.3, called “Eroica” (first dedicated in 180

Beethoven composed his Symphony No.8 between 1811 and 1812. As soon as his “Seventh” was completed, he tried, in vain, to compose a new concerto for piano, and re-used instead this initial work to create his “Height” in Vienna, on 17 February 1814. The 8th Symphony was born during Beethoven’s dark days. Beethoven is suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, and is living a mysterious and painful liaison with his “Immortal Beloved” (letter from July 1812). The 8th Symphony betrays nothing of these difficult times; on the contrary, after the Seventh’s dramatic intensity, the Eight is more similar to the bright and serene Sixth (the “great in F”, as Beethoven called it, opposing it to his “little Symphony in F", though the Eight was as equally good). The Eighth, through seems more reasonable at first sight, both in its structure and length. Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée Director: Vincent Massip© OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS - TELMONDIS - 2015

Cycle Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie n°8

Beethoven composed his Symphony No.8 between 1811 and 1812. As soon as his “Seventh” was completed, he tried, in vain, to compose a new concerto for piano, and re-used instead this initial work to create his “Height” in Vienna, on 17 February 1814. T

Concert

Don Pasquale, an old greybeard, decides to take a wife in order to overturn his nephew Ernesto’s plans. Ernesto, however, with the help of Doctor Malatesta, undertakes to ensnare Don Pasquale in the meshes of his own trap, entrusting the role of bride-to-be to Norina, his own betrothed. Docile, then intractable, Norina excels in playing at false appearances. The conflict between the two generations smoulders and stokes the comedy whilst producing an undercurrent of wistful yearning. With sincerity and dramatic profundity, Damiano Michieletto opens a pathway to the heart of an apparently light-hearted work, renowned as the apotheosis of opera buffa. Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de ParisA co-production of the Opéra national de Paris and La Belle Télé With the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: Vincent Massip© Opéra national de Paris – La Belle Télé – 2018Visuel ©Vincent Pontet / OnP&nbsp;&nbsp;

Don Pasquale: A rich old bachelor who decides to marry at the last minute in order to deprive his nephew of his inheritance. Ernesto: Don Pasquale’s nephew who is in love with Norina. Norina: A penniless young woman who, under the pseudonym of Sofronia, pretends to be Don Pasquale’s wife. Doctor Malatesta: A friend of the family and an ally of Ernesto and Norina, he is the mastermind of the plan to fool Don Pasquale.

Don Pasquale

Don Pasquale, an old greybeard, decides to take a wife in order to overturn his nephew Ernesto’s plans. Ernesto, however, with the help of Doctor Malatesta, undertakes to ensnare Don Pasquale in the meshes of his own trap, entrusting the role of brid

Gaetano Donizetti

Violent, terrifying and fascinating, Caligula, Nero and Elagabalus led lives so short, ambivalent and cruel that they inspired numerous writers. “Anarchy, to the extent to which Elagabalus pushes it, is genuine poetry”, wrote Antonin Artaud, exalting a man’s battle against conventions and order. Cavalli’s last-known opera, dating from 1667, focuses on the perverse young emperor who neglected affairs of state in favour of sensual pleasures. Systematically overturning accepted morals, Elagabalus dresses men as women, and names women to the Senate, favours sinning servants and humiliates generals. Baroque and carnivalesque, Eliogabalo is not, however, an opera that advocates a return to order. Leonardo García Alarcón, a finder of baroque gems, and Thomas Jolly are careful not to transform Eliogabalo into a sublime icon who would abase virtue. On the contrary, the conductor and young director, who are presenting their first production for the Paris Opera, accept the character’s contradictions and ambiguities. Orchestre Cappella Mediterranea Chœur de Chambre de Namur Coproduction avec de Nationale Opera, Amsterdam Coproduction Opéra national de Paris, CLC Productions with the participation of France TélévisionsWith the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts and with the assistance of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: Julien Condemine &amp; Roberto Maria Grassi © Opéra national de Paris - CLC Productions – 2016Visuel ©Agathe Poupeney / OnP&nbsp;&nbsp;

Eliogabalo: Emperor of Rome Alessandro: Eliogabalo’s cousin and heir Gemmira: Giuliano’s sister, engaged to Alessandro but coveted by Eliogabalo Giuliano: Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, in love with Eritea Eritea: A young woman dishonoured by Eliogabalo and in love with Giuliano Zotico: A confidant and favourite of Eliogabalo Lenia: Eliogabalo’s nurse Nerbulone: Coach driver, Lenia’s fiancé Atilia Macrina: A young woman in love with Alessandro Tiferne: A gladiator

2016-17-ELIOG162

Eliogabalo

Violent, terrifying and fascinating, Caligula, Nero and Elagabalus led lives so short, ambivalent and cruel that they inspired numerous writers. “Anarchy, to the extent to which Elagabalus pushes it, is genuine poetry”, wrote Antonin Artaud, exalting

Francesco Cavalli

There is no work to compare with Falstaff. In his last opera, Giuseppe Verdi, then aged eighty-four, delivered, from behind the mask of his buffoon-like rascal of a hero, the testimony of a life approaching its end and whose moral, like that of the opera, would be: life is but a joke. This indefinable comedy, tinged with pessimism, defies all the conventions of 19th century Italian opera and testifies to Verdi’s passion for the theatre. Dominique Pitoiset’s witty, humorous production brings these eccentric characters to life and their sparkling interplay maintains a perfect balance between fantasy and reality, the very essence of the work. Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra national de Paris A co-production of Opéra de Paris Production and Cinétévé With the participation of France Télévisions and with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of audiovisual transmissions and the National Center for Cinema and Moving Images. Director : Philippe Béziat© 2013 - Opéra de Paris Production - CinétévéVisuel ©Mirko Magliocca / OnP

Sir John Falstaff: a ruined gentleman, a buffoon and a boaster Ford: a rich man of Windsor Alice Ford: Ford’s wife Meg Page: a friend of Alice Mrs Quickly: a townswoman of Windsor Nannetta: Alice and Ford’s daughter Fenton: in love with Nannetta Pistola and Bardolfo: Falstaff’s servants Dr Caius: Nannetta’s unwelcome suitor

Falstaff 

There is no work to compare with Falstaff. In his last opera, Giuseppe Verdi, then aged eighty-four, delivered, from behind the mask of his buffoon-like rascal of a hero, the testimony of a life approaching its end and whose moral, like that of the o

Italian arias

King Arthur makes it to the Paris Opera at last! This rarely performed masterpiece by Chausson was initially created for this opera house. And well over a century after its composition and posthumous premiere, in 1903 at the Théâtre de La Monnaie in Brussels, King Arthur is finally entering the Paris Opera’s repertoire. One of Massenet’s students and a disciple of Franck, Chausson worked tirelessly for seven years to achieve his only opera (from 1888 to 1894). Like all composers of his generation, he both worshiped and hated Wagner. Chausson repeatedly stated: “We need to be de-wagnerised”, and yet composed a work that was typically post-Wagnerian, an opera infused with the so unique soul of the melancholic and luxuriant composer of Poème de l’amour et de la mer. Chausson was well aware of this paradox: “Always, there’s that awful Wagner who blocks my path at every turn. I feel like an ant that comes up against a huge, slippery boulder in its path. It has to make a thousand detours before it finds a way round it. This is where I’m blocked. But I keep on searching. I haven’t lost patience and am not without hope.” Chausson did find his way, giving to the fateful love of Lancelot and Guinevere and the despair and grandeur of Arthus, the dreamlike colours of a medieval world inherited from the Romantics and revisited by Symbolism. Alongside Sophie Koch and Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson returns to the Paris Opera as the majestic King Arthus and Philip Jordan conducts this magnificent fresco for its entry to the Paris Opera repertoire. Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de ParisA coproduction of the Paris Opera, CLC Productions and Mezzo With the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and with the assistance of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: François-René Martin© Opéra national de Paris - CLC Productions - Mezzo 2015Visuel ©Andrea Messana / OnP

Le Roi Arthus

King Arthur makes it to the Paris Opera at last! This rarely performed masterpiece by Chausson was initially created for this opera house. And well over a century after its composition and posthumous premiere, in 1903 at the Théâtre de La Monnaie in 

Ernest Chausson

Lightning streaks through the skies as Dalila declares her love to Samson in one of the finest arias of romantic opera. “My heart awakens to your voice like a flower to the kiss of dawn.” An enchanting yet treacherous beauty… When the thunder at last rumbles, Dalila betrays Samson and offers him up to his enemies: “Come up, for this time he has shown me all his heart”, she whispers to them in the night (The Old Testament, Book of Judges). Based on a violent and erotic biblical story, Saint-Saëns’s opera – composed in 1877, much to Liszt’s insistence – would not be performed at the Palais Garnier until fifteen years later. This first Parisian performance in 1892 included the hitherto unperformed “Dance Of The Priestesses”. Nevertheless, it became one of the most performed French operas in the world, together with Faust and Carmen. Conducted by Philippe Jordan, this new production brings back a repertoire masterpiece that has not been performed at the Paris Opera for twenty-five years. Ever sensational as a femme fatale, Anita Rachvelishvili plays the murderous Priestess in a production staged by Damiano Michieletto.Coproduction avec le Metropolitan Opera, New York Orchestre et Choeurs de l'Opéra national de Paris A co-production of the Paris Opera and Telmondis With the participation of ARTE France, with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and with the assistance of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director: François-René Martin © Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis - 2016 Visuel ©Vincent Pontet / OnP

Dalila: A Philistine seeking revenge on Samson Samson: A brave Hebrew, famous for his strength, leader of his people The High Priest of dagon: High Priest of the Philistines Abimelech: Satrap of Gaza, the administrative governor An old Hebrew A Philistine messenger Two Philistines

Samson et Dalila

Lightning streaks through the skies as Dalila declares her love to Samson in one of the finest arias of romantic opera. “My heart awakens to your voice like a flower to the kiss of dawn.” An enchanting yet treacherous beauty… When the thunder at last

Camille Saint-Saëns

In 1854, Hector Berlioz confided in his memoirs that, “For three years, I have been tormented by the idea of a vast opera for which I would like to write both words and music.” Held back by the failures of Benvenuto Cellini and La Damnation de Faust, the composer was to wait another two years before throwing himself into Les Troyens, an enterprise based on Virgil’s Aeneid: an ancient text that, galvanised by the master’s brilliant orchestral modernity, breathed new life into an operatic world still dominated by Verdi. In 1990, when the curtain rose for the first time at the Opéra Bastille, it revealed the Trojan plains. Thirty years later, a new production directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov marks the anniversary of the opera house, revealing the work in all its immensity. Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de ParisA co-production of ARTE France, Opéra national de Paris and Bel Air Media with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts and the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée.  © ARTE France - Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media 2019  Visuel © Vincent Pontet / OnP

Priam: King of Troy Hécube: Priam’s wife Cassandre, Créuse, Polyxène, Hellenus: The children of Hécube and Priam Andromaque: Widow of Hector, son of Priam, who was killed by the Greeks Astyanax: The young son of Hector and Andromaque Énée: Husband of Créuse Ascagne: Son of Énée and Créuse Chorèbe: A soldier and Cassandre’s fiancé Panthée: A friend of Énée The ghost of Hector A Greek chief Didon Anna Narbal IopasHylas

Les Troyens | opera chez soi

Les Troyens

In 1854, Hector Berlioz confided in his memoirs that, “For three years, I have been tormented by the idea of a vast opera for which I would like to write both words and music.” Held back by the failures of Benvenuto Cellini and La Damnation de Faust,

Hector Berlioz

As a tribute to Nicolas Joel, who passed away one year ago, the Paris Opera is releasing online the opera Akhmatova, staged and directed by Joel in 2011. For this worldwide premiere, dedicated to one of the most prominent Russian poets of the 20th century, the Opera commissioned Bruno Mantovani to compose the score and Christophe Ghristi to write the libretto. Their work focuses on the darkest moments of Anna Akhmatova’s life: Stalin’s regime and especially her son’s deportation. After 20 years at the direction of the Capitole de Toulouse, where he enriched the repertoire with many of his own productions, Nicolas Joel was named Director of the Paris Opera from 2009 to 2014. He directed, among others, Mireille by Gounod and Akhmatova. A major figure of the operatic stage, he received many awards for his productions, including a Music Award in the “Best Lyrical Production” category for Dialogue of the Carmelites in Toulouse. Orchestre et Chœur de l’Opéra national de Paris A co-production of the Paris National Opera and François Roussillon et Associés With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Centre National de la Cinématographie © Opéra national de Paris – François Roussillon et Associés – 2012

Akhmatova

As a tribute to Nicolas Joel, who passed away one year ago, the Paris Opera is releasing online the opera Akhmatova, staged and directed by Joel in 2011.For this worldwide premiere, dedicated to one of the most prominent Russian poets of the 20th cen

Bruno Mantovani

In 1909, after attending a performance of OEdipus Rex at the Comédie-Française, George Enescu hastened to transcribe the first bars of his one and only opera. Sophocles’ play had the effect of an electroshock on the Romanian composer, spurring him to begin work on his score before he even had a libretto. The completed work would ultimately have its world premiere at the Paris Opera in 1936. The influences of his teacher Fauré, of Stravinsky, Debussy and Romania’s ancestral musical traditions all fuelled an orchestral and vocal composition of unparalleled originality. Surprisingly, despite receiving a rapturous reception, the work was rarely staged at opera houses during the 20th century. For his Paris Opera debut, Wajdi Mouawad evokes the life of OEdipus – the man unaware of his own identity – in a continuum of organic, vegetal, ethereal and aquatic images. Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine / Choeur d’enfants de l’Opéra national de ParisWith the support of the CNC and the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts. Director: François RoussillonVisuel ©Elisa Haberer / OnP&nbsp;&nbsp;

Œdipus: Son of Laius and Jocasta Laius: King of Thebes Jocasta: Queen of Thebes, mother and wife of Œdipus Creon: Brother of Jocasta Tiresias: A soothsayer Merope: Œdipus’ adoptive mother, Queen of Corinth Phorbas: Shepherd in the service of Polybus and Merope, rulers of Corinth The Shepherd: Commanded by Laius to kill the newborn Œdipus Antigone: Daughter of Œdipus and Jocasta Theseus: King of Athens The Sphinx The High Priest The Night Watchman

Œdipe  - 6

Œdipe

In 1909, after attending a performance of OEdipus Rex at the Comédie-Française, George Enescu hastened to transcribe the first bars of his one and only opera. Sophocles’ play had the effect of an electroshock on the Romanian composer, spurring him to