Miroir de nos peines

Miroir de nos peines Hèctor Parra World premiere Palais Garnier Duration: 3h00 with 1 interval Language: French Surtitles: French / English What links Louise, the young waitress at “La Petite Bohème”, Raoul, an unscrupulous deserter, Gabriel, an upright maths teacher, and the mysterious Désiré, by turns spokesman for the Ministry of Information, street singer and priest?

The “phoney war” and the debacle of 1940, which each of these children of disaster lives in their own way. Through their epic journey along the roads of the exodus, the past of Louise's mother comes to light, revealing unexpected links between the characters.

The composer Hèctor Parra takes on Pierre Lemaitre's bestselling novel, Miroir de nos peines, to deliver a lyrical score in which he blends drama and comedy.

His score draws as much on French opera of the 20th and 21st centuries as on the realist song of the 1930s, right up to the urban music that reflects it.

This world premiere, a commission from the Paris Opera, is staged by Mariame Clément, who gives this teeming, choral work a realistic setting, a mirror of our present.

Ingo Metzmacher, musical direction Mariame Clément, staging Vannina Santoni, Louise Léo Vermot-Desroches, Désiré Leigh Melrose, Raoul Laurent Naouri, Monsieur Jules Jérôme Boutillier, Fernand Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Alice Bastien Rimondi, Gabriel Eugénie Joneau, Sœur Cécile Julie Boulianne, Henriette Thirion Yann Beuron, Monsieur de Varambon, Howsler Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra national de Paris Commissioned by the Opéra national de Paris