Enguerrand de Hys

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?

Le jeune Fantasio a perdu le goût de la vie, il rêve de changer de peau. Justement, le bouffon du roi vient de mourir : pourquoi ne pas le remplacer ? Or personne n’aimait plus le défunt que la princesse Elsbeth, promise à une désolante union politique. Le nouveau bouffon va amener la princesse à écouter son coeur. Jusqu’où se laissera-t-elle séduire ? En 2017, en pleine rénovation de l’Opéra Comique, Laurent Campellone et Thomas Jolly réanimaient ce joyau oublié d’Offenbach et Musset, au Châtelet.

Lost among strangers, a sensitive princess, a famous writer and an unwelcome devil try to find their place in an unfamiliar world. With his accessible and willingly facetious music, French composer Gérard Pesson has created an operatic adventure through three fairy tales. Their marvels are treated with fantasy and delicacy by librettist and director David Lescot.