Les Trois Contre-Ténors !

The return of the great castrato virtuosity contest Running time: 1h40 without interval In the Baroque Europe, the castratos held an extraordinary place: that of the first "stars" in the history of music. Almost all Italian and trained in the conservatories of Naples, they devoted themselves to opera careers or to service in the most prestigious princely chapels, reaching as far as the Vatican and the Chapelle Royale of the Château de Versailles, often combining the two roles. In many operatic productions or sacred oratorios, from Vienna to London, the castratos systematically held the title role (in Rome, all the female roles) and several important parts, creating on stage a genuine competition. It was then an escalation of virtuosity and emotion between the singers, of which the audience became the arbiter, as much through its demands for encores as through the sumptuous gifts offered to the most adored. Opera was moreover regularly supplemented by "suitcase" arias that the most sought-after castratos brought with them to shine. With a trio as extraordinary as that formed by Maayan Licht, Théo Imart and Dennis Orellana, audiences are invited to a competition of the highest order: Baroque to the utmost degree, the rivalry between these primi uomini was the attraction of Italian opera, and here is revived its most thrilling vocal dynamic, through the voices of three countertenors, for one evening in the glory of the castratos.

Thursday, 24 June 2027 Opéra Royal de Versailles from €84.70