“A nymph reigning over a watery empire” or an “absurd Naiad”? Who exactly is Rameau’s strange creature sung by a countertenor and who shatters the conventions of opera?The ugly and conceited frog Platée is the victim of a machination of the gods who make her believe that she is loved by Jupiter.In this opera, composed to mark the marriage of the Dauphin Louis, son of Louis XV, to the notoriously unbecoming Princess Maria Teresa of Spain, Jean‑Philippe Rameau turns irony into the principal weapon of his score.This cruel yet moving farce is presented in a delightfully whimsical production by Laurent Pelly. Orchestre des Musiciens du Louvre The Paris Opera ChorusA coproduction by the Paris Opera and Telmondis, with the participation of France Télévisions and Mezzo With the support of the CNC and the Fondation Orange, Sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual and digital projects, and Paprec, sponsor of Platée's broadcast.Director: François-René Martin © Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis - 2022 Picture: © Elisa Haberer / OnP

Platée: A batrachian nymph, she reigns over the marshes. Despite her ugliness, she is convinced that Jupiter is in love with her. Jupiter: God of the elements, he governs the earth and the heavens, father of the gods and of men. His identifying attributes are the eagle and the thunderbolt. Cithéron: The legendary king who gave his name to Mount Cithaeron. Mercure: God of commerce and travel and, in Roman mythology, messenger of the other gods. La Folie: An allegorical character symbolising gaiety.Junon: Jupiter’s wife, protector of women, particularly those with a recognized legal status in the city – women who are legitimately married. Amour: Son of Venus-Aphrodite. In Greek mythology, the god of love and creative ernergy. Momus: God of mockery, sarcasm and disguise, the “jester” of the Olympian deities. Thespis: Semi-legendary tragic poet of ancient Greece and, according to Athenian tradition, the inventor of tragedy. Thalie: One of the nine muses: the muse of comedy and idyllic poetry. Clarine: Maidservant to Platée.

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Platée

“A nymph reigning over a watery empire” or an “absurd Naiad”? Who exactly is Rameau’s strange creature sung by a countertenor and who shatters the conventions of opera? The ugly and conceited frog Platée is the victim of a machination of the gods who

Jean-Philippe Rameau

In 1838, Gaetano Donizetti moved to Paris after a career already rich in works such as Lucia di Lammermoor, when he received a commission from the Opéra-Comique. La Fille du régiment, his first work written directly in French, premiered there two years later and gave the composer the opportunity to explore a broad range of musical styles, from the boisterous overture to bravura arias such as “Ah! mes amis” and poignant, languorous romances. Foreshadowing Offenbach, this military opera about a vivandière, Marie, adopted at birth by a French regiment, doubles as a sentimental fable and a comic confrontation between two opposing worlds, that of the military encampment and that of the aristocracy. Laurent Pelly takes on this pinnacle of bel canto with his characteristic verve. Setting the work during the 1914 war rather than the Napoleonic Wars and adapting the dialogue, the director modernises the piece without sacrificing a single ounce of its brio.

Marie: young vivandière Tonio: young Tyrolean Sulpice: sergeant The Marchioness of Berkenfield Hortensius: marquise's steward The Duchess of Crakentorp

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La Fille du régiment - 19

La Fille du régiment

La Fille du régiment - 20

In 1838, Gaetano Donizetti moved to Paris after a career already rich in works such as Lucia di Lammermoor, when he received a commission from the Opéra-Comique.La Fille du régiment, his first work written directly in French, premiered there two year