Lionel Lhote

Six marriages, two annulments, two beheadings and the founding of his own Church, against the authority of Rome... in his search for a suitable spouse, the notorious Tudor King of England Henry VIII shrank from nothing. Here we focus on the amorous and political intrigues surrounding the annulment of Henry's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon in favour of his new passion for Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII, a grand historical opera by Camille Saint-Saëns, is characterised by stark contrasts: ardour and modesty, jealousy and renunciation, intimacy and solemnity. La Monnaie in Brussels have entrusted their new production to director Olivier Py and conductor Alain Altinoglu, two fervent champions of the French repertoire. With magnificent sets, high drama and compelling music, this production offers a musical journey which starts in sixteenth century England but still resonates today through a timeless question: How far can a man of power go with his conquests?

Après le Capitole de Toulouse, l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo et Marseille en février dernier, Carmen, la production signée Jean-Louis Grinda, directeur des Chorégies et metteur en scène, signe son grand retour au Théâtre Antique d'Orange le samedi 8 juillet 2023. Marie-Nicole Lemieux, dans le rôle-titre, retrouvera Jean-François Borras dans la peau de Don José et partagera également la scène avec Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Escamillo) et la jeune Alexandra Marcellier (Micaëla).

Don Carlos est le deuxième grand opéra à la française de Verdi après “Les Vêpres siciliennes”. Inspiré par la tragédie de Schiller, le compositeur aborde les thèmes de la jalousie, la mort, la religion, la trahison et la rédemption. Véritable œuvre politique, cette immense fresque en cinq actes représente la métaphore mettant en opposition l’idéalisme de Rodrigue et l’autoritarisme du roi Philippe II et de l’église. Mal aimé dès sa création à l’Opéra de Paris le 11 mars 1867, il connaît aujourd’hui une réhabilitation. Présenté pour la première fois à l’Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, il retrouve ici toute sa splendeur avec le rétablissement de l’ensemble des coupures effectuées (hormis la suppression du ballet), y compris lors des répétitions à la création parisienne. Dirigé par Paolo Arrivabeni et mis en scène par Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera, les rôles de Don Carlos et Elisabeth de Valois promis l’un à l’autre sont interprétés par Gregory Kunde et Yolanda Auyanet.

Berlioz’s whimsical and nostalgic take on Shakespeare’s great comedy Much Ado About Nothing graces the stage of Glyndebourne in Laurent Pelly’s astute 2016 production. Italian maestro Antonello Manacorda leads the London Philharmonic in Berlioz’s brilliant score.

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry’s death, the Opéra Royal de Wallonie brought the composer’s Guillaume Tell back to life in the city of his birth. With a mostly Belgian cast, they offer a brilliant revival of a monument of Walloon music history. Stefano Mazzonis Di Pralafera decided to exaggerate the comic bent of the original libretto by framing the production with exuberantly zany stage sets inspired by circus theater. Marc Laho incarnates the perfect hero (Guillaume Tell) and the sublime Anne-Catherine Gillet his wife (Madame Tell). The opera is set in 13th century Switzerland, and stages patriotic Swiss people’s heroic fight for liberty—with Tell as their chief—against the evil and oppression of the Austrians led by Guesler, the local governor. A superb production of a raucously entertaining opera!

Mozart under the stars and on the big screen. This is the principle of the operation proposed on 16 July 2011 by the Opéra de Lyon. The representation that was played on his stage was broadcast simultaneously and outdoors in thirteen Rhône-Alpes cities including Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Valence and Grenoble. Thousands of spectators were able to attend a free version of the opera "Cosi fan tutte". It is Adrian Noble who signs the mise-en-scene of this umpteenth production of the famous masterpiece, a joke on the banter that will turn to drama. The American made a bold choice by transposing the plot to a beach in California . The idea came to him during a stay in Santa Monica: the skaters on the sidewalk made him think of the characters Ferrando and Guglielmo who play with their lovers.

With its combination of enchanting love story and broad, burlesque comedy, Cendrillon is one of the great operatic fairy tales a Cinderella that looks back to Charles Perraults original story in all its richness and ambiguity. Massenets sensuous Belle Epoque fairy tale is gilded with lavish orchestral textures and glittering vocal writing, drawing on everything from baroque dances to Wagner-inspired chromaticism to bring its story to colourful life, conjuring a world of infinite musical and emotional variety.

After Tosca (2019), which marked Puccini’s entry into its repertoire, the Festival celebrates the centenary of the composer’s death this year by putting on his ‘Japanese tragedy’ Madame Butterfly: the cruel story of a vulnerable but strong and wilful heroine, driven by her blind perseverance to ritual suicide. By enveloping her with a bright lyricism and a supremely refined orchestration, Puccini reaches the heart of his artistic identity – reminding us of the real pleasure of tears. Conducting the orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon, Daniele Rustioni offers the finest of backdrops to Ermonela Jaho, whose rare combination of force and delicacy has made her a go-to choice in this wonderful yet harrowing role, in which she is making her prized debut in Aix.