La belle Hélène is the work that confirmed Offenbach's international reputation. The libretto caricatures the conventions of Greek mythology to poke fun at contemporary society, and the melodies, once heard, never leave you. The erotic and political scandal surrounding the creation of this work ensured its immediate and enduring success. We are carried away by music that is always new and inventive, sprinkled with nods to other works: the dream duet between Helen and Paris, the patriotic trio mimicking Rossini's William Tell, the ensemble of "the man with the apple" and the waltz of the "vile seducer"... Not to mention the exquisite humor of the language, whose inventions, such as "plis de vaillance" (folds of valor) and "poux de la reine" (queen's lice), have entered the lexical fund. In this celebration of Offenbach, we constantly swing between laughter and beauty, indulging in the pleasure of all the senses...
Directed by Michel Fau
Your score–
Not scoredImages
Cast
Michel Fau
Ménélas
Julie Robard-Gendre
Hélène
Julien Dran
Pâris
Christophe Lacassagne
Agamemnon
Jean-Claude Sarragosse
Calchas
Jean-Francis Monvoisin
Achille
Pier-Yves Têtu
Ajax Premier
Hoël Troadec
Ajax Deuxième
Paul Figuier
Oreste
Marie Daher
Bacchis
Laurène Paternò
Parthoenis
Béatrice Nani
Loena
Richard Lahady
Euthyclès
Jean-Raphaël Lavandier
Philocome
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