Nicole Chevalier

Idomeneo, König von Kreta - Mozart bei den Opernfestspielen Aix-en-Provence

Semele was written in 1743, by an already mature Handel, after his opera serias were becoming less well received than they had once been. The big novelty of the time was that Semele was composed entirely in English and is surely the closest that any of his oratorios get towards opera (though today many of them are staged as such). Stage director Barrie Kosky definitely places it in the operatic genre. He creates a very worldly universe in which gods and mortals are prone to the same emotions.

In a city gripped by religious fanaticism, a Jewish goldsmith and his daughter face the perils of being outsiders. A great secret could save their lives - or else bring death and revenge. One of the great achievements of French opera, Fromental Halévy's La Juive was controversial from the start. For some an insult to religion and the state, for others a plea for tolerance, it is above all a human tragedy about a persecuted family. Roy Cornelius Smith and Corinne Winters star in this award-winning production by director Peter Konwitschny.

Fidelio

Considered to be one of his most brilliant creations, Mozart’s Idomeneo is a perfect masterpiece for the two enfants terribles of classical music and opera staging, conductor Teodor Currentzis and stage director Peter Sellars. Joined by the exceptional voices of Russell Thomas, Paula Murrihy, Ying Fang, and Nicole Chevalier, this is a one-of-a-kind performance of the score in the city where its creator was born!

In a poet's feverish imagination, the staging of Don Giovanni sets him off on a frenzied journey into nightmarish worlds. Can Mozart himself offer him salvation as he loses himself in his fearful dreams? Barrie Kosky tells Offenbach's fantastic story as a disturbing nightmare of an artist who increasingly loses his sense of identity. As we dive into the obsessions of a deranged mind, the title role itself is shared by three performers - including an actor - while a single soprano embodies all four female lead roles.