Orphée et Eurydice

First opera of the 26-27 season, directed by Lorraine de Sagazan, with musical direction by Alphonse Cemin

As Orpheus weeps over the loss of Eurydice, Love offers him a bargain. If he manages to soften the Underworld, he will be reunited with his wife on one condition: never to meet her gaze on the journey back to Earth.

Orpheus accepts and descends into the realm of the dead… The myth of Orpheus, he whose song moves even the most terrifying infernal creatures to tears, was set to music by Christoph Willibald Gluck, in French, in 1774.

The opera follows the poet's journey through spectacular and dramatic tableaux. The composer unfurls instantly memorable arias, extraordinary orchestral colours, and masterful choruses, creating one of his greatest masterpieces.

Accompanied by conductor Alphonse Cemin, Lorraine de Sagazan, a former resident of the Villa Medici, directs her first opera following highly acclaimed theatre productions.

And because proofs of love are not measured solely by heroic deeds, she seizes upon this tale to question what seems all too obvious. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice has been established in our collective memory as the ultimate romantic myth.

Yet behind this idealisation lies another, more complex vision of our relationship with the couple.

The duo will be embodied by leading French opera stars: the exceptional Sahy Ratia and the charismatic Jenny Daviet, alongside the no less virtuoso Mariamielle Lamagat in the role of Love.