Opera Les Troyens (epic opera duologue) World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera - established 1783
Running time: 5 hours 40 minutes
Schedule for Les Troyens (epic opera duologue) 2022
Principal Chorus Master: Andrei Petrenko Musical Preparation: Natalia Mordashova Musical Director: Maestro Valery Gergiev Composer: Hector Berlioz Stage Director: Carlus Padrissa Set Designer: Roland Olbeter Cinematographer: Franc Aleu Lighting Designer: Peter van Praet Costume Designer: Chu Uroz
Orchestra: Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra
Production by La Fura dels Baus Co-production with the Palau de les
Arts Reina Sofia (Valencia) and Poland's Opera Narodowa
World premiere: 6 December 1890, Grosherzogliches Hoftheater, Karlsruhe
Premiere of this production: 31 October 2009, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía,
Valencia Premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: 25 December 2009, St Petersburg
Running time: 5 hours 40 minutes The performance has two intervals
Epic opera duologue
Libretto by the composer after motifs from Virgil's
Aeneid Performed in French The performance will have synchronised
Russian supertitles
Synopsis
Part I. The Capture of Troy
Act I
At the advice of the cunning Ulysses, the Greeks, raising the siege of Troy
and abandoning their camp, leave a giant wooden horse that the Trojans take
to be a gift to Pallas Athene. Cassandre, daughter of King Priam of Troy,
foresees the fall and destruction of Troy and convinces her fiancé Chorèbe
to flee from the accursed city. Chorèbe, however, does not believe her
predictions and tries to calm his bride.
Act II The people are praising the gods of Olympus for
the salvation of Troy. Priam passes in a procession together with Hйcube, Énée,
their suites and warriors. Folk games and rituals begin. Andromaque, the
widow of Hector, together with her son Astyanax, is giving vent to her
implacable grief for her warrior husband amidst the general rejoicing. Énée
relates that the priest Laocoön, who has called on the Trojans to burn the
wooden horse, has been swallowed up by a sea dragon – this is the wrath of
the goddess Athena, enraged at the blasphemy that is occurring. Priam,
ignoring Cassandre's requests, orders the horse be brought to Troy and placed
near the temple dedicated to Athena. At the same time, form the horse's belly
comes the sound of clanking weapons, but the Trojans take this to be a good sign
and triumphantly drag the statue towards the city. In despair, Cassandre
observes the procession.
Act III Scene 1. Énée's palace. The ghost of
the murdered Hector appears before Énée, who has foreseen the destruction of
Troy, and orders him to flee the city and seek Italy, where he is to establish a
new Troy – Rome. Panthée brings news of the Greeks who have entered the
city in the stomach of the horse and who are destroying it. Chorèbe, Énée's son,
calls on Troy to be defended, and he heads the warriors.
Scene 2.
Priam's palace. The women are praying at the altar of Cybele, begging
the goddess to help their husbands. Cassandre relates that Énée and the other
Trojan warriors have saved the treasures of King Priam and led the people out of
the fortress. She predicts that Énée and the other Trojans that remain alive
will found a new city in Italy. At the same time, she relates that Chorèbe has
died and takes the decision to destroy herself. The Trojan women admit that
Cassandre's predictions have come true, and they made a fateful error in not
listening to her. Then Cassandre calls on them to join her in death so that they
do not become slaves of the victorious Greeks.
Part II. The Trojans in Carthage
Act I Didon's palace The people of Carthage
and Didon their Queen give praise to the achievements that have been made in the
last seven years since leaving Tyre and founding a new city. Didon considers the
proposal of a Nubian warrior to conclude a marriage pact that will bring mutual
benefits from a political point of view. The people of Carthage swear their
loyalty to Didon, and representatives of various professions – builders,
sailors and peasant farmers – are, in turn, presented to the Queen. As
the triumphant ceremonies come to an end, Didon and her sister Anna discuss
love. Anna calls on Didon to enter a second marriage, but Didon insists on
observing the memory of her late husband Sichée. At this time, the Queen is
informed of foreigners arriving in the port; they have been shipwrecked and are
asking for refuge. Didon gives her agreement. Ascagne enters, showing the Queen
the saved jewels of Troy and informing her of the city's destruction. Didon
admits that she has heard of this sad event. Panthée then announces his
prediction that a new city will be founded by the Trojans. Throughout this
scene, Énée is getting dressed as a simple sailor. The royal councillor
Narbal appears with the news that the fierce ruler of the Nubian people, leading
a vast horde of savages, is approaching Carthage. The city has insufficient
weapons to defend itself. Then Énée comes forth and offers the services of his
people to assist Carthage. Leaving Ascagne to the cares of Didon, he takes
command of the united troops and hurries to meet the enemy.
Act II In Didon's Gardens The Numidians are
broken in spirit, and the people of Carthage free Narbal and Anna, who had been
taken prisoner. But Narbal is worried that Didon is neglecting the rule of the
State, filled as she is with feelings for Énée. Anna sees nothing amiss in this
and says that Énée would be a magnificent ruler of Carthage. Narbal reminds her
that the gods have decreed that Énée link his destiny with Italy. Then Anna
replies that there is no god on Earth more powerful than love itself. Didon
enters and a ballet begins – the dances of young Egyptian and Nubian slave
girls. Then, at the Queen's command, village songs are sung. Didon asks
Énée to tell her something more of Troy. Énée relates that Andromaque has become
the wife of Pyrrhus, son of the Greek hero Achilles who killed her former
husband, Hector. Didon senses that her last recollections of her dead husband
are fading. She drops Sichée's ring, whose memory she has already betrayed in
her heart. The Queen and Énée confess their love for one another. Their
declarations are interrupted by the appearance of Mercury, messenger of the
gods, who informs Énée it is Jupiter's will he leaves Carthage and sets out for
Italy where he is to found a great city and a powerful nation.
Symphonic Entr'acte A Royal Hunt
Act III The sea coast at Carthage The sea
coast is covered in tents of the Trojans, guarded by two sentinels; in the
distance Trojan ships can be made out, and on the tall mast of one of them a
sailor is singing a song of his anguish for his native land. The sentinels laugh
at him, as never again will he see his father's home. Panthée and the Trojan
leaders are discussing the terrible omens of the gods, displeased at their being
delayed in Carthage. Voices from the underworld can be heard: «Italy!» The
Trojans are seized with terror and undertake preparations to sail the very next
day. After the leaders depart, the sentinels express their displeasure: they
have seen no omens, they have heard no voices and they have no desire whatsoever
to leave Carthage, where the women are so favourable to foreigners. Énée runs
in, his soul in anguish at the cruel struggle between his duty, which calls him
to Italy, and his love, which holds him in Carthage. He resolves to see the
Queen one last time, but this time he is confronted by the ghosts of Priam,
Chorèbe, Hector and Cassandre, who call to him to depart without delay. Énée
understands that he must obey the will of the gods, recognising how cruelly and
ignobly he is acting towards Didon. He gives the order to sail at dawn; it is at
this time that Didon enters, in shock that Énée is attempting to sail away in
secret, leaving her behind. Énée begs her to forgive him, denoting the will of
the gods, but Didon pays no heed to these supplications and curses him.
Act V Scene 1. Didon's Palace Didon begs Anna
to ask Énée once again to remain. Anna is sorry that she gave her blessing to
the love between her sister and Énée. Then Didon, in a fit of temper, declares
that if Énée truly loved her, he would not thus challenge the gods – and
once more begs her sister to persuade Énée to remain in Carthage a few days
more. At the same time, the Queen announces that the Trojan ships have cast off
from the city. In fury, Didon orders the people of Carthage to sail after them
and sink the Trojan fleet, filled with dismay that she did not wage war with
them earlier, as soon as they sailed into Carthage. Left alone, Didon prepares
to meet death, drawing the whole force of the wrath of the gods on her head.
Scene 2. Didon's Gardens At the order of the Queen, a vast
fire has been lit on the shore of the sea. Around the fire are the priestesses
of Pluto. They call to the gods of the underworld for Didon to be soothed. The
Queen burns Énée's armour and weapons. Narbal and Anna curse Énée, praying for
him to die an ignoble death in battle. Didon removes her veil and throws it into
the flames on top of Énée's toga. She prophesies that her blood will produce a
nemesis – Hannibal the great warrior, who will rise and attack Rome to
avenge her. To the terror of her subjects, Didon stabs her breast with a sword,
and her body is placed on the pyre. However, at the moment of her death, the
Queen is visited by a final vision: Carthage will be destroyed, while Rome will
become the Eternal City. In the apotheosis, the Capitol of Rome can be seen.
The people of Carthage and the priests curse Énée and his people.
Interview with Carlus Padrissa (Stage
director)
Les Troyens is an absolutely immense opera. How do you plan to retain the
audience's attention for such a long time? Les Troyens lasts
over five hours. The score and the libretto for the opera are amazingly
interesting. In the first part, we learn of the terrible story of a
civilisation's self-destruction, and in the second there is a description of
people resting in a foreign land, while in the third they resolve to set out and
discover a place where they can build their world afresh. I think that the opera
is a space where the concept of time disappears if the production is able to
touch the depths of our souls. It is something that we are duty bound to attempt
to do.
Do you see parallels in the plot of Les Troyens with the problems of life
today? A great many. In our version, the Trojans are viruses that get
to the heart of an operating system, destroying all the information stored
there. That is the description of the Trojan virus that can be found in every
search engine on the Internet. According to the concept for the production, a
"Trojan virus" is being carried by the characters themselves, and its effect can
lead to disastrous consequences. In the second part of the production the
heroes, who have suffered amnesia because of the virus, are regaining their
health in Carthage, a world of pleasures. It is a true sensual paradise with the
sea, the beach, the palm trees as well as a strong and emergent power that is
carrying out an environmental study. It is, moreover, a society where well
organised groups and professional unions serve public wellbeing. But,
ultimately, despite the hospitality of the people of Carthage, the protagonists
once again set out on a journey. They take their places in a spacecraft in order
to set out for the distant planet of Mars and build a new civilisation there.
What does Berlioz' work mean for you, in particular his opera music?
Berlioz' music comes from a very rich cultural tradition. The opera
Les Troyens is not staged so very often, despite all its rich content. I
like the opera's choral scenes, its orchestration, the unexpected contrasts that
create a "zapping" effect ("zapping" – switching from one channel to
another using a remote control). The music in the opera is enchanting. The
contrast between the sung choruses and arias and the declamatory recitatives
that are accompanied by expressive orchestral counterpoint build truly tense
musical and dramatic action.
Does your experience in cinematography help you at all in your work on
operas? Will you be using any cinematographic techniques in the production?
The concept "cinematographer" appeared over one hundred years ago, and,
ever since, many talented directors have left opera for cinema. Instead of new
opera houses, cinemas were opened. But today we understand that cinema, however
interesting it is, will always be a "copy" of a theatre production. It does not
have all the same possibilities of interacting with the public, while an opera
is a live performance that changes every day depending on the inspiration and
the mood of the public. Using cinematographic techniques and video
installations in opera, we can bring it closer to other forms of modern art,
such as "performance". The time is already here for a union between cinema and
opera, and this union brings with it many new possibilities. One of the most
impressive results to be found on this path can be seen in the virtual scenes of
light in the production of Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Palau de les
Arts in Valencia.
Schedule for Les Troyens (epic opera duologue) 2022
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