Name: Castor et Pollux
Start: 2008-01-18T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2008-01-31T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Salle Pleyel

Organization

Singer

Judith van Wanroij

Cléone/Suivante d'Hébé/Ombre heureuse

Anders J Dahlin

Spartiate 1/Mercure

Soprano

Anna-Maria Panzarella

Télaïre

Véronique Gens

Phébé

Tenor

Finnur Bjarnason

Castor

Bass

Henk Neven

Pollux

Nicolas Testé

Le Grand Prètre de Jupiter

Thomas Oliemans

Conductor

Christophe Rousset

Stage director

Pierre Audi

Set designer

Patrick Kinmonth

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Jean Kalman

Choreographer

Amir Hosseinpour

Chorus master

Martin Wright

Les Talens Lyriques

Orchestra

Others

Chorus of De Nederlandse Opera

Castor et Pollux -  (Castor and Pollux)

Paris

France

Salle Pleyel

Amsterdam

Netherlands

The god Pollux is betrothed to mortal Télaïre, but she loves his twin brother Castor, a mortal demigod. When Pollux learns of his fiancée’s true feelings, he is prepared to let Castor and Télaïre be together—but enemies of Sparta (helped by Télaïre’s sister Phébé, also in love with Castor) then attack, and Castor is killed. Pollux is willing to sacrifice his life to bring back his brother from Hades, but for Castor, it would be meaningless to return to life on Earth without his brother… This tragédie en musique by French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau is also an origin myth for the constellation Gemini, created thanks to the goodness and mercy of Jupiter (Zeus).

Pierre Audi’s minimalist staging for this epic legend spanning the planes of Earth, heaven, and hell might seem an unusual choice for a Baroque work whose 1737 premiere was characterized by scenic opulence. But the opera’s complicated narrative, its sumptuous and varied music, and its tragically poetic libretto constitute an intensely dramatic experience in its entirety—so a modern staging like this one may choose a more subtle visual style that allows the audience to focus more on narrative elements.

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