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 19^th 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