Candlelight Concert

Two countertenors for an iconic masterpiece: Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. This performance revives the history of the work’s premiere in France, originally performed by two castrati from the Royal Chapel of Louis XV.

A few months before his death at the age of twenty-six, Pergolesi was commissioned to compose a new Stabat Mater to replace an earlier version by Alessandro Scarlatti. Stricken by illness, he expressed the Virgin Mary’s suffering through the emotional language of opera. Premiered in 1736, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater became one of the defining works of the Baroque era. It deeply influenced the musical world of the eighteenth century, particularly in France.

The Italian castrati of the Royal Chapel at the Palace of Versailles — Louis XIV had brought eight of them from Italy as early as 1679 for his sacred music — personally brought the score back from Italy and became its devoted champions, both at the court of Louis XV and at the Concert Spirituel. Upon discovering Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Paris was captivated, seeing in it the revolutionary work of a Neapolitan genius tragically lost at such a young age. Its success endured throughout the century.

To fully reveal the splendor of this sumptuous duet of angelic voices lamenting Mary’s grief at the foot of the Cross, two performers capable of blending their timbres like the two Neapolitan castrati for whom the music was originally written are required.

Thus, Théo Imart and Maximiliano Danta will be accompanied by the Royal Opera Orchestra, conducted by Chloé de Guillebon.

Royal Opera Productions.

CD available in the Château de Versailles Spectacles collection.

Coming soon

PRESTIGE VIP CATEGORY : Best seats in house, you will receive a complimentary programme and a glass of champagne.

PRESTIGE CATEGORY : Excellent seats, you will receive a complimentary programme and a glass of champagne.

REDUCED GROUP RATE : available for groups of more than 10 people, excluding corporate offers.

CORPORATE GROUP RATES : for more information, please refer to our page dedicated to works councils and groups.

In case of any technical problem, the box office service remains available to complete your order by phone at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 89 (Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm) or in our box office-shop (3 bis rue des Réservoirs, 78000 Versailles ; Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturdays with concerts or shows except during the Musical Fountains Shows, from 2pm to 5pm).

To ensure the best welcome possible, people with limited mobility are advised to book their seats by telephone.