The Marriage of Figaro is one of the repertoire’s most iconic works. Brahms spoke of it as a “miracle” and the Countess’s lament remains one of the most heart-rending musical pages of all time. By taking up Beaumarchais’ comedy, which had caused a scandal to shake Parisian society, Mozart and Da Ponte’s success was secured.The play had even been banned by Joseph II in 1785 at Theatre of Vienna. Did it shine too much light on the contradictions of an already faltering regime, ready to collapse with the French Revolution? Netia Jones’ new production retains the very essence of Beaumarchais’ play as she humorously yet mischievously explores human relationships in a universe that confuses reality and fiction to the point of asking, like the Count: “Are we playing in a comedy?” The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus A Paris Opera and Bel Air Media co-production, with the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the CNC and the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts. Director: Andy Sommer© Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media – 2022 Picture: © Vincent Pontet / OnP

The Count: Seducer of Susanna and jealous husband The Countess: The Count’s wife, tormented by her husband’s deceptions Susanna: The Countess’s chambermaid, Figaro’s fiancée, Cherubino’s accomplice Figaro: The Count’s valet, engaged to Susanna Cherubino: The Count’s page, ingenuous young man in love with the Countess Marcellina: Housekeeper Bartolo: Doctor from Seville Don Basilio: Master of music Don Curzio: Judge Barbarina: The gardener’s daughter and Susanna’s cousin Antonio: The Count’s gardener and Susanna’s uncle

Les noces de Figaro

Les Noces de Figaro - 3

Le nozze di Figaro

fr / en

The Marriage of Figaro is one of the repertoire’s most iconic works. Brahms spoke of it as a “miracle” and the Countess’s lament remains one of the most heart-rending musical pages of all time. By taking up Beaumarchais’ comedy, which had caused a sc

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Relieved of her traditional attributes – velvet slipper and pumpkin carriage – and dominated by a tyrannical stepfather instead of a cruel stepmother, Rossini’s La Cenerentola plays with the traditional figures of the fairy tale.Cinderella lives, nonetheless, in a closed and loveless world, under the yoke of the tyrant she protects. Beneath her goodness smoulders a fire to be unleashed by her encounter with the prince...In this drama giocoso written for the Roman Carnival in 1871 in only 24 days, the young Rossini, with 19 operas to his name already, including Il barbiere di Siviglia, composed a jubilatory score with his famous “crescendi” that stoke up the dramatic tension.Taking up this brilliant and highly contrasted score, Guillaume Gallienne delicately underlines its subtle shades, from sombre melancholy to burlesque. Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de Paris A co-production by Opéra national de Paris and Cinétévé, with the participation of France Télévisions, and the support of La Fondation Orange and the Centre national du Cinéma et de l'image animée. © Opéra national de Paris – Cinétévé – 2017 Director: Louise NarboniPicture: © Vincent Pontet / OnP

<ul><li>Angelina:&nbsp;alias Cinderella - Don Magnifico’s step-daughter</li><li>Don Ramiro: Prince of Salerno</li><li>Don Magnifico: Father of Clorinda and Tisbe</li><li>Clorinda et Tisbe: Don Magnifico’s daughters</li><li>Alidoro: Philosopher, Don Ramiro’s private tutor</li><li>Dandini: Equerry to the prince&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>

2016-17-CENER-247

La Cenerentola

Relieved of her traditional attributes – velvet slipper and pumpkin carriage – and dominated by a tyrannical stepfather instead of a cruel stepmother, Rossini’s La Cenerentola plays with the traditional figures of the fairy tale. Cinderella lives, no

Gioacchino Rossini

In Peking, a princess renowned for her beauty submits her suitors to three riddles. The prince who manages to solve them will win her hand and the throne. Alas, so far, all have failed and suffered the implacable punishment: death. Will young Calaf succeed?Inspired by Carlo Gozzi's fable, itself drawing on several sources including the Thousand and One Nights, Puccini's last opera revives the oriental atmosphere already present in Madama Butterfly.But in 1924, the year in which the composer died leaving his score unfinished, his writing had grown in modernity, without losing any of its melodic inspiration, as illustrated by the famous aria "Nessun dorma".The references to Asia could not fail to appeal to Robert Wilson, whose aesthetic draws on Japanese Noh theatre. His sparse staging, interspersed with touches of commedia dell'arte, offers striking and hypnotic images.

<ul><li>Turandot: Princess of China</li><li>Altoum: Emperor of China, her father</li><li>Timur: Exiled king of Tartary</li><li>Calaf: The “unknown prince”, his son</li><li>Liù: Slave girl, Timur’s guide</li><li>Ping: Grand Chancellor of China</li><li>Pang: Grand Master of provisions</li><li>Pong: Grand Master of the Imperial kitchens</li></ul>

Turandot - 4

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Turandot

Turandot (français)

Turandot (English)

Bastille salle

Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, from 6 to 29 November 2023 at the Opera Bastille

In Peking, a princess renowned for her beauty submits her suitors to three riddles. The prince who manages to solve them will win her hand and the throne. Alas, so far, all have failed and suffered the implacable punishment: death. Will young Calaf s

Giacomo Puccini

**Exclusively broadcasted on POP**Who has never dreamed of eternal youth? In The Makropulos Case, the celebrated singer Emilia Marty is 337 years old yet appears 30 thanks to a life-extending elixir. As the effects of the potion begin to wane, the diva is desperate to obtain the formula that will allow her to retain her dazzling youth.Thus begins a race against time, the fatal outcome of which is death. At the crossroads between science fiction and philosophical debate, Czech composer Leoš Janáček's penultimate opera is an incredibly modern work.Created in 1926, the score is astonishing for its mastery of the sung word, its harsh rhythms and intense expressivity. Conjuring up Hollywood mythology, be it Marilyn Monroe, King Kong or Gloria Swanson, director Krzysztof Warlikowski delivers a profound reflection on time and immortality.

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The Makropulos Case

L'Affaire Makropoulos (français)

L'Affaire Makropoulos (English)

The Makropulos Case by Leoš Janáček, from 5 to 17 October 2023 at the Opera Bastille

**Exclusively broadcasted on POP**Who has never dreamed of eternal youth? In The Makropulos Case, the celebrated singer Emilia Marty is 337 years old yet appears 30 thanks to a life-extending elixir. As the effects of the potion begin to wane, the di

Leoš Janáček

**Exclusively broadcasted on POP** A teapot dancing the foxtrot with a Chinese cup, an armchair courting a Louis XV wing chair, objects and animals joining forces against an unruly child: such is the marvellous world that Maurice Ravel brings to life in his “fantaisie lyrique” created in 1925.A finely orchestrated musical gem, in which the composer’s taste for humour, childhood poetry and animals – an affection shared with the writer Colette, who wrote the libretto – is clearly apparent.While the artists of the Academy embody the characters of L’Enfant et les Sortilèges in Richard Jones’ oneiric staging, the students of the Ballet School perform the ballet Ma Mère l’Oye (1912) in Martin Chaix’ inventive choreography.An opera, a ballet: two works by Ravel placed under the sign of childhood and fairy tales, sublimated by the red and golden setting of the Palais Garnier. With the participation of the Paris Opera Ballet School students and the Artists in residence a the Paris Opera Académie The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus With the Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris, chœur d'adulte, and the Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine / Chœur d’enfants de l’Opéra national de Paris

L'Enfant et les Sortilèges (season 2012/2013)

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Extrait 2 L'Enfant et les sortilèges

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Ma Mère l'Oye / L'Enfant et les Sortilèges (Français)

Ma Mère l'Oye / L'Enfant et les Sortilèges (English)

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Ma Mère l'Oye /​ L'Enfant et les Sortilèges by Ravel, from 21 November to 14 December 2023 at the Palais Garnier

**Exclusively broadcasted on POP**A teapot dancing the foxtrot with a Chinese cup, an armchair courting a Louis XV wing chair, objects and animals joining forces against an unruly child: such is the marvellous world that Maurice Ravel brings to life 

Maurice Ravel

Ma Mère l'Oye / L'Enfant et les Sortilèges

“I want a treasure which contains them all! I want youth!” Frustrated by the futile quest for knowledge, the erudite old Faust sells his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal youth and the beautiful Marguerite…Reworking the legend popularised by Goethe, Gounod focuses on the love story and elevates the significance of Marguerite’s fall and ultimate salvation. Choosing to lighten the narrative’s philosophical scope allows him to strike a balance between scenes where the supernatural calls for the visually spectacular and others depicting a universe governed by inward actions and feelings.Transposed to the present day, Tobias Kratzer’s Faust reflects on contemporary society’s obsession with eternal youth. His production’s sophisticated scenography oscillates between hyperrealism and magic, between the world of today and the mysterious atmosphere of German romanticism.The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA coproduction of the Paris Opera and Cinétévé, with the participation of France Télévisions, With the exceptional support of Rolex, Timepiece of the Paris Opera, the Cercle Berlioz and 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: Julien Condemine © Opéra national de Paris – Cinétévé – 2021

<ul><li>Doctor Faust</li><li>Méphistophélès</li><li>Marguerite</li><li>Siebel: a student</li><li>Valentin: Marguerite’s brother</li><li>Wagner: a friend of Valentin</li><li>Dame Marthe: Marguerite’s neighbour</li></ul>

01-Faust 20-21 © Monika Rittershaus - OnP

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Faust

Faust 21-22 © Charles Duprat - OnP (25)

“I want a treasure which contains them all! I want youth!”Frustrated by the futile quest for knowledge, the erudite old Faust sells his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal youth and the beautiful Marguerite… Reworking the legend popularised by 

Charles François Gounod

If Handel were alive today, he would be termed resilient. In 1734‑1735, when the public had cooled towards him and his contract with the King’s Theatre drew to a close, the composer began to write Ariodante, an “opera seria” intended for the opening of the brand new Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. As if galvanised by adversity, he produced a radiant work, as virtuoso as the libretto, drawn from an episode of Arioste’s Orlando Furioso, is simple: Ginevra, a Scottish princess, is in love with Ariodante to whom she is betrothed, but a conspiracy led by the traitor Polinesso results in her being accused of infidelity.As well as giving us Handel’s most beautiful lament, this inspired score abounds throughout in virtuoso arias and breathes theatrical intelligence. Enough to inspire Robert Carsen who, in the wake of his legendary Paris Opera production of Alcina, composed the same year, signs a new production of Ariodante. The English Concert Chœurs de l’Opéra national de ParisCoproduction with the Metropolitan Opera, New-York With the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.© Opéra national de Paris - 2023 Picture: © plainpicture / Narratives / Brent Darby

<ul><li>The King of Scotland: Ginevra’s father</li><li>Ginevra: Daughter of the King of Scotland, betrothed to Ariodante</li><li>Ariodante: Feudal Prince, Ginevra’s fiancé</li><li>Lurcanio: Ariodante’s brother, in love with Dalinda</li><li>Polinesso: Duke of Albany</li><li>Dalinda: Ginevra’s lady-in-waiting, secretly in love with Polinesso</li><li>Odoardo: King’s secretary</li></ul>

Ariodante 22-23 © Agathe Poupeney-OnP (4)

Ariodante

If Handel were alive today, he would be termed resilient. In 1734‑1735, when the public had cooled towards him and his contract with the King’s Theatre drew to a close, the composer began to write Ariodante, an “opera seria” intended for the opening 

Georg Friedrich Handel

Salome, princess of Judea, the daughter‑in‑law of King Herod, finds life in her father‑in‑law’s palace dreary. Her curiosity is roused when she hears the voice of Jochanaan, a prophet held prisoner by Herod who is afraid of him. Obsessed by this enigmatic and virtuous man, Salome is ready to do anything to possess him, dead or alive.Drawing on Oscar Wilde’s scandalous play of the same name, in 1905 Richard Strauss produced the work that was to ensure his status as Wagner’s successor in the history of German opera.“Dance for me, Salome”. From Herod’s lubricious injunction to the young woman stems one of the most emblematic orchestral passages in opera: the dance of the seven veils. A hypnotic interlude in itself sufficient to capture the fatal mounting desire that suffuses this work whose orchestration is as rich as it is modern.A dazzling hour and forty minutes, decadent in its very essence, which, for her debut at the Paris Opera, Lydia Steier treats as a dystopia in which amorality rules.   The Paris Opera OrchestraA co-production of the Paris Opera and Telmondis, with the participation of Mezzo and medici.tv 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 - 2022Picture: © Agathe Poupeney / OnP

<ul><li>Herod: Tetrarch of Judea</li><li>Herodias: Herod’s wife, mother of Salome</li><li>Salome: Princess of Judea, fascinated by Jochanaan</li><li>Jochanaan: Prophet, prisoner of Herod</li><li>Narraboth: Captain of the guard, in love with Salome</li><li>Herodias’ Page: serving in the palace</li><li>Five Jews: who claim Jochanaan from Herod</li><li>Two Nazarenes: who report the miracles of Christ&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>

2022-23-SALOM-166

Salome

Performance at the Opera Bastille, from 09 to 28 May 2024

Salome, princess of Judea, the daughter‑in‑law of King Herod, finds life in her father‑in‑law’s palace dreary. Her curiosity is roused when she hears the voice of Jochanaan, a prophet held prisoner by Herod who is afraid of him. Obsessed by this enig

Richard Strauss

In February 1972, the American president Richard Nixon went to China to meet Mao Zedong. In the context of the war in Vietnam and the cold war, this encounter marked a turning point in Chinese‑ American relations. John Adams, a major musical figure of the last forty years, made this event of contemporary history the subject of his first opera.Nixon in China tackles the political thaw instigated by ping-pong diplomacy, begun by the invitation of the American table tennis players by their Chinese counterparts, one year before the presidential visit. A mesmerising work in which the pulsations and repetitions typical of minimalism are combined with melodic lines of great lyricism.For its entry into the Paris Opera repertoire, this work has been entrusted to the director Valentina Carrasco, who underlines the importance and the mediating power of Chinese national sport in history. The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusWith the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.© Opéra national de Paris - 2023 Picture: © Everett Collection / Bridgeman Images

<ul><li>Richard Nixon: President of the United States</li><li>Mao Tse-tung: Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party</li><li>Pat Nixon: First Lady of the United States</li><li>Chiang Ch’ing: Mao’s wife</li><li>Henry Kissinger: US National Security Advisor</li><li>Chou En-lai: Chinese Prime Minister&nbsp; &nbsp;</li></ul>

Nixon in China 22-23 

Nixon in China

In February 1972, the American president Richard Nixon went to China to meet Mao Zedong. In the context of the war in Vietnam and the cold war, this encounter marked a turning point in Chinese‑ American relations. John Adams, a major musical figure o

John Adams

When, in 1731, l’Abbé Prévost wrote L’Histoire du chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut – the work that inspired Massenet’s Manon – he portrayed an entire era, that of the Regency, which saw the old order fade away and a new order, full of the promise of unprecedented freedom, rise from its ashes.Manon must make her way between these two worlds, fleeing the convent in order to embrace the paths of desire and transgression, throwing herself headlong into a burning and destructive passion with Des Grieux. A parenthesis opens, only to close again in suffering and obscurity.The director Vincent Huguet casts the work’s customary taffeta aside in order to bring out its violence to the full. Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA co-production of the Paris Opera and Telmondis, with the participation of France Télévisions and medici.tv 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 – Telmondis - 2020Picture: © Julien Benhamou / OnP

<ul><li>Manon Lescaut</li><li>Le Chevalier des Grieux: Manon’s lover</li><li>Lescaut: Manon’s cousin</li><li>Le Comte des Grieux: The Chevalier’s father</li><li>Guillot de Morfontaine: An old rake</li><li>Brétigny: Manon’s wealthy patron</li><li>Poussette, Javotte, Rosette: Three demimondaines&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>

Manon 19-20 © Julien Benhamou-OnP (1)

Manon

When, in 1731, l’Abbé Prévost wrote L’Histoire du chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut – the work that inspired Massenet’s Manon – he portrayed an entire era, that of the Regency, which saw the old order fade away and a new order, full of the pro

Jules Massenet

Beginning his opera with a prelude for strings of unprecedented economy of means, in 1853, Verdi affirmed his intention of defying conventions and norms. This is not the least radical aspect of his Traviata, which implacably strips bare the violence of a society that promotes worldly pleasures only to sacrifice an innocent woman on the altar of bourgeois morality.Simon Stone delights in grappling with the major works of the repertoire, enticing them into more intimate territory. One of today’s most distinguished stage directors, he made with this production his long-awaited debut at the Paris Opera. Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA co-production of the Paris Opera, François Roussillon et Associés with the participation of medici.tv 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 Roussillon © Opéra national de Paris – François Roussillon et Associés - 2019Picture: © Charles Duprat / OnP

<ul><li>Violetta Valery: A Parisian demimondaine</li><li>Alfredo Germont: A young bourgeois from a provincial family, Violetta’s lover</li><li>Giorgio Germont: Alfredo’s father</li><li>Flora Bervoix: Violetta’s friend</li><li>Annina: Violetta’s maid</li><li>Le baron Douphol: Violetta’s protector</li><li>Le marquis d’Obigny: Flora’s lover</li><li>Gaston de Letorières: Alfredo’s friend</li><li>Doctor Grenv: Violetta’s doctor</li></ul>

La traviata | Opera chez soi

La Traviata

La Traviata 2

Performance at the Opera Bastille, from 21 January to 25 February 2024

Beginning his opera with a prelude for strings of unprecedented economy of means, in 1853, Verdi affirmed his intention of defying conventions and norms. This is not the least radical aspect of his Traviata, which implacably strips bare the violence 

Giuseppe Verdi

“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

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

Snegurochka was born in times of old in Tsar Berendey’s mythical kingdom, the fruit of the union between Spring the Beauty and Grandfather Frost. Protected by her parents from the jealousy of the Sun god Yarilo who has vowed to warm her heart when she gets older and falls in love, Snegurochka the snow maiden is entrusted to the wood sprite… Particularly attached to the opera which he himself considered to be a work of maturity, Rimsky‑Korsakov would write ten years after its creation that: “anyone who fails to love The Snow Maiden understands nothing of my works nor of myself”. A masterpiece of popular Slavic literature, The Snow Maiden brings to the stage a magical fantasy enriched by the rigours of the weather. Aida Garifullina sings the role of Snegurochka whilst the production and musical direction have been left in the capable hands of two other Russian artists: the young conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov and director Dmitri Tcherniakov.
 Orchestre et Chœurs 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 Bel Air Media, with the participation of ARTE France 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: Andy Sommer © Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media 2017Picture: © Elisa Haberer / OnP

<ul><li>Father Frost</li><li>Spring Beauty</li><li>Snowmaiden: Their daughter</li><li>Lel: A shepherd</li><li>Mizgir: A rich merchant</li><li>Kupava: Mizgir’s fiancée</li><li>Tsar Berendey: The sovereign of the Berendey people</li><li>Bermyata: A Boyar close to the Tsar</li><li>Bobyl Bakula, Bobylikha: An old, childless couple</li><li>The Wood Sprite: Guardian of the forest</li><li>Maslenitsa: An effigy representing the passage from winter to spring</li></ul>

La Fille de neige

The Snow Maiden

Snegurochka was born in times of old in Tsar Berendey’s mythical kingdom, the fruit of the union between Spring the Beauty and Grandfather Frost. Protected by her parents from the jealousy of the Sun god Yarilo who has vowed to warm her heart when sh

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Of Shostakovich’s initial undertaking – a trilogy on the tragic destinies of Russian women through the ages – only one opera was ever written: the hard-hitting Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Although one of the mainsprings of the work, the Shakespearean parallel is here bitterly ironic: unlike Lady Macbeth, Katerina Ismaïlova who, in the remote reaches of rural 19th century Russia, falls in love with one of her husband’s employees and is finally forced to commit suicide, is less a manipulator than a victim of a violent and patriarchal society.Krzysztof Warlikowski liberates all the subversive power of this scorching and scandalous work, which marked the early years of the Opéra Bastille. Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de Paris.A co-production of the Opéra national de Paris, Telmondis and Mezzo 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: Stéphane Metge © Opéra national de Paris – Telmondis – Mezzo - 2019Picture: © Bernd Uhlig / OnP

<ul><li>Boris Timofeyevich Izmailov: Owner of an industrial slaughterhouse</li><li>Zinoviy Borisovich Izmailov: Son of Boris and heir to the business</li><li>Katerina Lvovna Ismailova: Zinoviy’s wife</li><li>Sergei: An employee of the Izmailovs and Katerina’s lover</li><li>Aksinya: A young girl in the Izmailovs’ service</li><li>A shabby peasant: A worker in the Izmailovs’ service who is drunk most of the time</li><li>The orthodox priest</li><li>The police commissioner</li><li>Sonietka: A young prisoner</li></ul>

Lady Macbeth de Mzensk

Of Shostakovich’s initial undertaking – a trilogy on the tragic destinies of Russian women through the ages – only one opera was ever written: the hard-hitting Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Although one of the mainsprings of the work, the Shakespearean pa

Dmitri Chostakovitch

"To sharpen the mind of the most doleful of women and suddenly make her shrewd, all it takes is to lock her away and the deed is done." - Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Act I, scene 11 “The Barber is one of the century's masterpieces”. These words were written by the very Berlioz who in his youth had denounced not only Rossini, but also the “fanaticism he aroused in the fashionable circles of Paris”. Accordingly, the compliment, “repeated until exhaustion” – the composer's own words – is all the greater. The work was so “brilliant” and “so finely orchestrated” that the “dilettanti of Rome”, enraged by the “slightest unforeseen innovation in melody, harmony, rhythm or instrumentation were ready to kill the young maestro”. Il Barbiere di Siviglia has been performed continually since its turbulent premiere on February 16th 1816. The composer's opera buffa transcends the spirit of Beaumarchais’ comedy and combines the absurd with a touch of satirical realism in a score where rhythm and virtuosity place the comic effects in an ongoing dramatic narration. As a result, the characters – Rosina in particular – gain a new degree of realism and break with the usual archetypes. Damiano Michieletto’s giddying production embraces this perpetual motion and carries in its wake the happy couple formed by René Barbera and Karine Deshayes. Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus A co-production of the Paris National Opera and A Prime Group, with the participation of France Télévisions, with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris National Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director : François Goetghebeur © Opéra national de Paris - A Prime Group - France 2015 Picture: © Bernard Coutant / OnP

<ul><li>Count Almaviva: A young Spanish nobleman in love with Rosina</li><li>Bartolo: An old greybeard who is Rosina’s guardian</li><li>Rosina: Bartolo’s ward</li><li>Figaro: Bartolo’s barber, formerly in the service of Count Almaviva</li><li>Don Basilio: Rosina’s music teacher</li><li>Fiorello: The Count’s servant</li><li>Bertha: Bartolo’s old maid&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>

Barbier de Séville

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

"To sharpen the mind of the most doleful of women and suddenly make her shrewd, all it takes is to lock her away and the deed is done." - Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Act I, scene 11“The Barber is one of the century's masterpieces”. These words were writ

The mysterious, unwavering chant of the English horn, punctuated by notes from the bassoon and the clarinet, follows its chromatic descent over twenty bars as if plunging into an unknown world. A world where Iolanta has lived in seclusion since her birth. She is unwittingly blind, since no one has the right to reveal the fact to her. This simple tale of collective denial at the court of Provence as narrated by the Danish writer Henrik Hertz in his play King René’s Daughter, was discovered by Tchaikovsky in 1883. However, moved beyond words by the presence of the young actress Elena Konstantinova Leshkovskaya in the title role, it would be another five years before the composer decided to transform it into an opera. Should we believe him when he claims that “the dukes, knights and noble damsels of the Middle Ages had captivated his imagination, but not his heart”? Would the fate of the heroine, like a rite of passage from darkness to light, from lies to truth, not rekindle his own wounds which ended up carrying him to his grave less than a year after the double premiere of Iolanta and The Nutcracker at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre on December 18th 1892?Directed for the stage by Dmitri Tcherniakov, this exceptional programme combines all the talents of the Paris Opera and offers an opera and a ballet in a single evening: Tchaikovsky originally intended Iolanta and The Nutcracker to be staged together. However, since their debut performance at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre in 1892, they have been presented separately. The composer found inspiration for his opera in Danish playwright Henrik Hertz’s work recounting the romantic story of Iolanta, the blind daughter of King René. Protected by her father in his Provençal château, the princess ultimately regains her sight before marrying the gallant knight Vaudémont. The Nutcracker is based on a tale by Hoffmann adapted by Alexandre Dumas. Like a two-sided mirror reflecting the dreams of a composer who took refuge in the realms of the imaginary, the Paris Opera is reviving the original diptych. Alain Altinoglu conducts and Dmitri Tcherniakov stages this production that symbolises the link between opera and ballet.Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris Le Corps de Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine Chœur d’enfants de l’Opéra national de Paris Avec la participation d’élèves d’écoles de danse parisiennes.Une coproduction Opéra national de Paris et Bel Air Media With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the audiovisual retransmissions of the Paris National Opera, and the National Center for Cinema and Moving Images. Director : Andy Sommer© Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media – France 2016Picture: ©Agathe Poupeney / OnP

Iolanta / Casse-Noisette - 5

Iolanta / The Nutcracker

Performance of The Nutcracker by Noureyev at the Opera Bastille, from 08 December 2023 to 01 January 2024

The mysterious, unwavering chant of the English horn, punctuated by notes from the bassoon and the clarinet, follows its chromatic descent over twenty bars as if plunging into an unknown world. A world where Iolanta has lived in seclusion since her b