Orphée
The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice tells of the impossible return to the land of the living by a woman who has been mortally wounded. The poet-musician Orpheus’s eventful journey in the world of shadows, searching for the one he loves and cannot let go, takes him to the Elysian Fields. This is an unexpected place of peaceful, composed of countryside and those in its thrall. It is here that Eurydice is now installed. During his journey Orpheus is thus introduced to a surprising reality: an enclave, a protected place, both near and yet inaccessible, disturbing, between life and death.
L'Heure espagnole is a one-act operatic farce written by Ravel and first premiered in 1911. The title's literal translation is "The Spanish Hour", but here the word "heure" refers more generally to "time", reminiscent of the cliché, "How They Keep Time in Spain". The work's Latin atmosphere is reinforced through Ravel's incorporation of dance music like the malagueña, the jota, and the habañera.
Armide
A production of Lully's 1686 tragédie lyrique masterpiece directed by William Christie at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
