Nahuel Di Pierro

With her husband apparently drowned at sea, a scheming empress secures the throne for her son from another marriage. But the commander of the army has other ideas, and then the emperor returns, very much alive. Drottningholm Palace Theatre (Drottningholms slottsteater in Swedish), located at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm, is one of the few 18th century theatres in Europe that is still used as a theatre with original stage machinery. The beautiful rococo backdrop is the starting point for this production of Agrippina. The Italian conductor and harpsichordist Francesco Corti, a regular collaborator of the orchestras Les Musiciens du Louvre and Il Pomo d'Oro, presides over Handel’s music which is bursting with originality and fun, as well as carefully considered moments of great beauty.

L'histoire de l'empereur Néron et de sa passion pour Popée, une courtisane ambitieuse. L'opéra explore les thèmes de l'amour, du pouvoir et de la manipulation. Malgré les obstacles et les intrigues, Popée parvient finalement à devenir l'impératrice. L'opéra se termine de manière controversée, avec une sorte de triomphe de l'amour et du désir sur la vertu et la morale.

Francesco Cavalli, a natural successor to Monteverdi, was the most famous and influential Italian opera composer during the mid-17th century. Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister to the king, commissioned Cavalli to create a Parisian spectacle to celebrate the wedding of the ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV and the Infanta of Spain. Ercole amante (‘Hercules in Love’) was the flattering subject chosen for this regal extravaganza combining larger-than-life characters with mythology, and genuine human emotions with natural and cosmic phenomena. The result is a sumptuous Baroque spectacle, conceived on a vast scale in this lavish production by directors Valerie Lesort and Christian Hecq.

While best known today for having composed the ending to Puccini's unfinished Turandot, Franco Alfano wrote some dozen operas, including Cyrano de Bergerac (1936) with a libretto by Henri Cain based on Edmond Rostand's drama of the same name. It is a moving tale of romantic misunderstanding, swashbuckling bravado and heartbreaking loyalty, in which the eloquent Cyrano feels unable to express his love for Roxane because of his famously protuberant nose except on behalf of his handsome but inarticulate friend, Christian.

Tragédie lyrique en cinq actes Version 19 novembre 1739 Académie Royale de musique. Paris Livret: Charles-Antoine Leclerc de La Bruère D'après Les Métamorphoses d'Ovide

Au Théâtre de l'Archevêché d’Aix-en-Provence, le metteur en scène Claus Guth et le chef d'orchestre Raphaël Pichon reconstituent librement un opéra rêvé par Voltaire et Rameau et jamais représenté. Après l'exode hors d'Égypte, le peuple d'Israël s'est installé en Judée. Bafouant le premier commandement divin et cédant au polythéisme, ses membres sont tombés sous le joug des Philistins. Élu de Dieu, Samson tire sa force herculéenne d'une chevelure abondante dont il ne doit sous aucun prétexte se départir. Volontaire et impulsif, il exhorte son peuple à la révolte contre ses oppresseurs. Mais l'amour et ses traîtrises rôdent…

Two years prior to the opening scene, the nobleman Florestan has exposed or attempted to expose certain crimes of the nobleman Pizarro. In revenge, Pizarro has secretly imprisoned Florestan in the prison over which Pizarro is governor. The jailer of the prison, Rocco, has a daughter, Marzelline, and a servant (or assistant), Jaquino. Florestan's wife, Leonore, came to Rocco's door dressed as a boy seeking employment, and Rocco hired her. On orders, Rocco has been giving Florestan diminishing rations until he is nearly starved to death. Place: A Spanish state prison, a few miles from Seville Time: Late 18th century

Considered by some to be the greatest opera ever written, Don Giovanni was the second product of an incredibly fruitful collaboration between two geniuses: the legendary W.A. Mozart and the talented Italian librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. Based on Molière's Don Juan, the two-act dramma giocoso premiered in October 1787 at Prague's state theater to rave reviews. The 2017 Festival d'Aix-en-Provence brought Mozart's fabulously devious work to the stage once more in a production by stage director Jean-François Sivadie. Starring Philippe Sly (Don Giovanni), Nahuel di Pierro (Leporello), and Eleonora Buratto (Donna Anna), the excellent performance featured the acclaimed maestro Jérémie Rhorer at the head of the period instrument ensemble Le Cercle de l'Harmonie.

When, in 1733, Voltaire, the most brilliant mind of his day, collaborates with Rameau, its greatest composer, in undertaking an ambitious reform of operatic practice, the result is the biblical opera Samson. But the libretto is condemned and the score lost – possibly reworked here and there in later compositions. Claus Guth and Raphaël Pichon, haunted by this interesting project that had turned into one of the most intriguing failures in operatic history, have tried, not to recreate the letter, but to revive the spirit: to marry a strong, noble libretto with the most eloquent music. Supporting Jarrett Ott, Jacquelyn Stucker and Lea Desandre in the principal roles, the Pygmalion chorus and orchestra become important actors in a fresco that is both sublime and astonishingly modern.

The 2016 Aix-en-Provence Festival presented Mozart’s Così fan tutte in a modern, provocative production directed by Christophe Honoré. The staging reimagined the opera’s exploration of fidelity and deception against the backdrop of colonial-era Africa, addressing themes of power and exploitation. Honoré’s bold interpretation divided audiences, with some praising its daring approach and others finding it controversial. Conducted by Louis Langrée, the performance featured an exceptional cast, including Sandrine Piau, Lenneke Ruiten, and Kate Lindsey, whose vocal finesse and dramatic commitment brought vitality to Mozart’s intricate score. The inventive production blended historical commentary with the opera’s timeless emotional and comedic core, marking a memorable contribution to the festival’s legacy.

Dans le cadre du Palau de la Musica de Barcelone, l'Ensemble Pygmalion, dirigé par Raphaël Pichon, propose sa version du "Requiem" de Mozart. Entre les différentes parties du Requiem laissé inachevées par Mozart, Raphaël Pichon a inséré de petit trésors méconnus, comme cet extrait de la "Messe" en ut mineur.