Friday 7 December 2018, 8pm
Saturday 8 December 2018, 7pm
Sunday 9 December 2018, 3pm
Opéra royal du Château de Versailles
Casting
Adaptation and music director: Hervé Niquet
Adaptation, design and staging: Corinne et Gilles Benizio (alias Shirley & Dino)
Director assistant: Caroline Bibring
Costumes: Catherine Rigault
Lights: Jacques Rouveyrollis
Lights assistant: Jessica Duclos
Accompanist and voice coach: Elisabeth Geiger
Chantal Santon-Jeffery Soprano/Dessus
Bénédicte Tauran Soprano/Dessus
Emiliano Gonzalez Toro Tenor
Marc Mauillon Baryton
João Fernandes Bass
Le Concert Spirituel, choir and orchestra
1h45 without intermission
Editions: Hervé Niquet for Le Concert Spirituel
Production: Opéra National de Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon, coproduction with the Festival de Radio-France et Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon.
Production DVD Glossa
10 years anniversary!
A true baroque gem, signed by Henry Purcell, with a plot rich in twists and turns and colourful characters; King Arthur has met with continuing success since its first performance in 1690.
The story tells of the confrontation between the Breton Christian King Arthur and the pagan King Oswald the Saxon. Assisted by two enchanters – Merlin on the side of good and Osmond on the side of evil – they fight for Brittany and beautiful Emmeline, a young blind girl. Love, honour and peace will triumph, saved as if by magic.
The legend comes back to life conducted by Hervé Niquet, one of the masters of this repertoire, directing the Concert Spirituel, in a staging by Corinne and Gilles Benizio, aka Shirley and Dino, who combine poetry and fantasy, without affecting Purcell’s powerful music: an original and fascinating evening which enchanted the public when it was created!
