In the course of the 19th century, Shakespeare’s works were a constant source of inspiration for the Romantics. In particular, The Tragic History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, one of the English playwright’s most famous plays, dominated by the existential questions of the title role – To be or not to be –, the ghost of his murdered father and his doomed love for Ophelia. Alexandre Dumas père was himself fascinated by this drama and in 1847 he produced a highly successful adaptation. It was on the basis of this version that Michel Carré and Jules Barbier gave Ambroise Thomas the libretto for Hamlet, the last opera to be performed in the Salle Le Peletier.Inspired by the musical and dramaturgical forms of French grand opera, the composer imbues the story with an intensity that contributes to the beauty of the score.A milestone of opera for which Krzysztof Warlikowski, ever fathoming the depths of the human psyche, redraws the Shakespearean contours. The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus A coproduction ARTE France, Opéra national de Paris and Telmondis, with the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée and the Fondation Orange, Sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts  © ARTE France – Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis – 2023

Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, son of Gertrude Ophelia: Daughter of Polonius engaged to Hamlet Gertrud: Queen of Denmark and wife of Claudius Claudius: King of Denmark and uncle of Hamlet Laërte: Ophelia’s brother The King’s Spectre: Ghost of Hamlet’s father Horatio and Marcellus: Friends of Hamlet Polonius: Lord Chamberlain

Hamlet 22-23 

Hamlet_trailer

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Hamlet

In the course of the 19th century, Shakespeare’s works were a constant source of inspiration for the Romantics. In particular, The Tragic History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, one of the English playwright’s most famous plays, dominated by the existe

Ambroise Thomas 

Giacomo Meyerbeer’s visit to Paris in 1825 was to revolutionise opera. By imposing the Grand Opera genre, the composer made History the pivotal theme of 19th century operatic productions.Les Huguenots is a monumental fresco featuring various impossible loves in the context of the Saint Bartholomew Massacre.First performed at the Paris Opera, the work celebrated its centenary there in 1936, after more than a thousand performances, before being stowed in the archives of the Palais Garnier – the “grande boutique”.For its revival, Andreas Kriegenburg places these timeless conflicts of love and religion in an immaculate setting in which the costumes appear yet more flamboyant and the victims’ blood more violently red. The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus With the participation of France Télévisions, in association with UGC With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual retransmissions, and the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée.© Opéra national de Paris - Act4 Productions – October 2018 Director: Andy Sommer

Marguerite de Valois: Daughter of Henri II and Catherine de Médicis, King Henri de Navarre’s fiancée Valentine: Marguerite de Valois’ maid of honour, Count de Saint-Bris’ daughter Raoul de Nangis: Protestant gentleman Urbain: Marguerite de Valois’ page Marcel: Former Huguenot soldier, Raoul’s servant Count de Saint-Bris: Catholic gentleman, Valentine’s father Count de Nevers: Catholic gentleman, Valentine’s fiancé Cossé, Tavannes, Méru, Thoré, Maurevert, Retz: Catholic lords Bois-Rosé: Huguenot soldier

Les Huguenots (Saison 18/19) - 3

Les Huguenots (Saison 18/19) - Lisette Oropesa (Marguerite de Valois)

Les Huguenots (Saison 18/19) - 4

2018-19-HUGUE-259 © Agathe Poupeney – OnP

Les Huguenots_trailer

Les Huguenots

Giacomo Meyerbeer’s visit to Paris in 1825 was to revolutionise opera. By imposing the Grand Opera genre, the composer made History the pivotal theme of 19th century operatic productions. Les Huguenots is a monumental fresco featuring various impossi

Giacomo Meyerbeer

Jules Massenet no doubt sought to enchant his era when he set Charles Perrault’s fairytale to music. With Cendrillon, the composer offers us one of his most attractive works, quite unlike other operatic adaptations of the tale. The mischievous Lucette and the women around her give the work a tone whose myriad nuances confirm the words of Claude Debussy who saw Massenet as “the musical historian of the female soul”. By gracing the fairy with an unreal coloratura timbre and having the role of the prince sung by a soprano, the composer offers us a vocal festival carried along by a richly varied orchestration alternating between Mozartian finesse, baroque-style citations and grand romantic overtones. To mark the addition of Cendrillon to the Paris Opera’s repertoire, Mariame Clément plays on the myth’s fantasy side, reflecting on the characters’ inner selves whilst setting them free from their tight suits and court shoes. Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris Directed by François RoussillonA coproduction by Opéra national de Paris, François Roussillon et Associés with the participation of France Télévisions With the support of La Fondation Orange, patron of Opéra national de Paris audiovisual retransmissions, Cercle audiovisuel et numérique, Cercle Berlioz and with the assistance of Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animéeOpéra national de Paris - François Roussillon et Associés - 2022Visual: © Monika Rittershaus / OnP

Cendrillon (Lucette): Pandolfe’s daughter and Madame de La Haltière’s stepdaughter Madame de La Haltière: Cendrillon’s stepmother Mother to Noémie and Dorothée Le Prince Charmant La Fée: Cendrillon’s godmother Noémie: Cendrillon’s stepsister Dorothée: Cendrillon’s stepsister Pandolfe: Cendrillon’s father, a widower and now married to Madame de La Haltière Le Roi

Cendrillon 21-22

Cendrillon_trailer

Cendrillon (saison 21/22) - 5

Cendrillon by Jules Massenet

 Jules Massenet no doubt sought to enchant his era when he set Charles Perrault’s fairytale to music. With Cendrillon, the composer offers us one of his most attractive works, quite unlike other operatic adaptations of the tale. The mischievous Lucet

Jules Massenet

Cendrillon

“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 ParisA 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 - 2017Picture: © Vincent 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

Carmen_trailer

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

“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.

2015-16-PLATE-240

Platée_trailer

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

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. The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA 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 2015Picture: © Andrea Messana / OnP

Le Roi Arthus

Le Roi Arthus_trailer

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. The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus A coproduction with the Metropolitan Opera, New YorkA 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 - 2016Picture: © Vincent Pontet / OnP

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

Samson et Dalila

Samson et Dalila_trailer

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

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 ParisA 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 - Opéra national de Paris – François Roussillon et AssociésPicture: © Julien Benhamou / OnP

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

Contes d'Hoffmann - 3

Les Contes d'Hoffmann_trailer

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

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. The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA 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

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

Les Troyens | opera chez soi

Les Troyens_trailer

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.Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA 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 – 2012Picture: © Elisa Haberer / OnP

Akhmatova

Akhmatova_trailer

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 ce

Bruno Mantovani

In 1909, after attending a performance of Œdipus 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 Œdipus – the man unaware of his own identity – in a continuum of organic, vegetal, ethereal and aquatic images. The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus 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 RoussillonPicture: © Elisa Haberer / OnP

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

Œdipe  - 6

Œdipe_trailer

Œdipe

In 1909, after attending a performance of Œdipus 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 

Georges Enesco

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 - 2019Picture: © Little Shao / OnP

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

Les Indes galantes

Les Indes galantes_trailer

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