Watch the second part of the opera: click here.
Opera in three acts with prologue, sung in Italian, after a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello. Premiered in Venice at the San Cassiano Theatre, on March 1st, 1641.
The théâtre de Caen opens its 2011/2012 season with Francesco Cavalli's La Didone, an Italian opera composed in the 17th century. The recreation of this work is a mission entrusted to Les Arts Florissants, under the baton of William Christie, who will then conduct the opera at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. The mezzo soprano Anna Bonitatibus and the tenor Kresimir Spicer will respectively sing Dido and Æneas.
Premiered in 1641 in Venice, La Didone takes its inspiration from Virgilius' Æneid. On the advice of Venus, Æneas leaves Troy, attacked by the Greeks. When he arrives on the shores of Carthage, he meets the Queen Dido and the two young people fall in love. But the gods remind Æneas of his destiny: the creation of Rome. The hero continues on his journey.
A stalwart of the Comédie Française, Clément Hervieu-Léger has collaborated with Patrice Chéreau for Così fan tutte (Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Opéra de Paris) and Tristan und Isolde (Teatro alla Scala de Milan). La Didone is his first opera staging.
© Picture: Pascal Gely / théâtre de Caen
A co-production Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Paris), théâtre de Caen, Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg.
Executive producer: théâtre de Caen.
Associated co-producer: Les Arts Florissants – with the support of the Selz Foundation.
Le théâtre de Caen is the theatre of la Ville de Caen. It is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Communication – DRAC Basse-Normandie and the Région Basse-Normandie for the lyric programs.
Les Arts Florissants are supported by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, la Ville de Caen and the Région Basse-Normandie. Imerys great benefactor of Les Arts Florissants.
Les Arts Florissants are in residency at the théâtre de Caen.
La Région Basse-Normandie supports this event by the side of la Ville de Caen.
