Fountains Shows & other events
Francais
English
Support 
Mozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio
-
From Wednesday May 22nd to Sunday May 26th 2024
-
Royal Opera
-
2h50 with intermission
Cast
- Sung in French
- Opera in three acts to a libretto by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie, premièred in Vienna in 1782.
- Translated into French (L’Enlèvement au Sérail) by Pierre-Louis Moline (1739-1820), French playwright and librettist.
- New Royal Opera Production
- Florie Valiquette Constance
- Mathias Vidal Belmont
- Nicolas Brooymans Osmin
- Gwendoline Blondeel Blonde
- Enguerrand de Hys Pédrille
- Michel Fau Sélim
- Chœur de l’Opéra Royal
- Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal
- Under the patronage of Aline Foriel-Destezet
- Gaétan Jarry Conductor
- Michel Fau Stage direction
- Antoine Fontaine Scenography
- David Belugou Costumes
- Joël Fabing Lighting
- Laurence Couture Make-up, hairstyles and wigs
- Sofiène Remadi Joint director
- Tristan Gouaillier Assistant director
- Performance in French with French and English surtitles
Presentation
First part : 1h35
Intermission
Second part : 40 minutes
The essence of Mozart is revived, in French, in this masterpiece of opéra-comique.
In 1781, a young Mozart left the city of Salzburg and his post amid hostilities with his employer, Archbishop Colloredo. He moved to Vienna, the capital of music, which he set about conquering. To do so, the young composer endeavoured to make a name for himself at the opera, seizing on the commission from Emperor Joseph II for the Burgtheater. He composed an opera that was far removed from the highly codified opera seria, developing a more national genre, the Singspiel, a musical comedy that would be his first opera in German.
The piece was premièred a month after he finished composing it, in July 1782, conducted by Mozart himself. It was a triumph, and the emperor congratulated Mozart with these now-famous words: “Too beautiful for our ears, my dear Mozart, and an awful lot of notes.” To which the composer’s impish retort was: “Exactly as many as are necessary, Your Majesty.” The opera was performed again in Vienna, followed by Prague, Leipzig and Salzburg, marking the start of the twenty-six-year-old Mozart’s Viennese career !
Show moreThe emperor, like the rest of audience, was no doubt won over and captivated by the audacity of the composition, with its multiple effects and irresistible joy. Here, Mozart yields to Turkish fashions in both his choice of subject and the use of instruments evoking an Eastern touch, such as the piccolo or triangle and the cymbal, which can be heard from the very opening, simulating the fanfares of the Janissaries.
Gaétan Jarry directs the choirs and orchestra of the Opéra Royal, restoring all the flavour to Mozart’s music, seasoned with a mise en scene by the great opera enthusiast Michel Fau, and in a French-language version that feels utterly natural !
Delegated production Opéra Royal / Château de Versailles Spectacles
Coproduction Opéra de Tours Centre – Val de Loire
Costume design by the Atelier de l’Opéra de Tours and Corinne Pagé
Orchestra on period instruments or copies of period instruments, with historically informed interpretation.
This programme will be recorded on a CD to be released on the Château de Versailles Spectacles label.
The performances on 23 and 25 May were filmed by Camera Lucida for broadcast on France Télévisions and a DVD to be released by Château de Versailles Spectacles.
This performance is supported by the Françoise Kahn-Hamm Endowment Fund
-
Download the access map
-
Download the programme of the show
Royal Opera
More infoPRESTIGE VIP CATEGORY : Best seats in house with complimentary glass of champagne and programme.
PRESTIGE CATEGORY : Excellent seats with complimentary glass of champagne and programme.
REDUCED RATE : applicable to under 26s, Chateau de Versailles Spectacles card holders and groups of more than 10 people (excluding special company offer).
To ensure the best welcome possible, people with limited mobility are advised to book their seats by telephone at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 89.
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).
Practical Information
On Wednesday May 22nd, access to the show will be at door H.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…
