Organization

Singer

Anara Khassenova

Talestri

Anaïs Yvoz

Antiope

Iannis Gaussin

Oronte

Emilie Rose Bry

Tomiri

João Pedro Cabral

Learco

Stage director

Bérénice Collet

Conductor

Franck-Emmanuel Comte

Lighting designer

Bérénice Collet et Alexandre Ursini

Costume designer

Christophe Ouvrard

Set designer

Arcal

Others

Chœur des Amazones

Chœur des Scythes

Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu

Italian

France

Paris

Herblay

Théâtre Roger Barat

Le Perreux-sur-Marne

Centre des Bords de Marne

Public

French

Approved

Talestri, Queen of the Amazons stages the war between men and women, among the Amazons who have sworn the death of men after having suffered their vicissitudes, until love interferes, in the very heart of their Queen, and that the virtue and courage of the Scythian prince and his companion do not encourage them to change their laws….

This character of Talestri (Thalestris in French), rational and benevolent queen, could look a lot like Marie-Antoinette of Bavaria.
The libretto is original and daring because the composers were usually restricted to the “decent” repertoire but lacked pastorelles, especially since it was the composer herself who took the pen (and also offered her libretto to the composer Ferrandini who pulled another opera).
In 17th and 18th century operas on the subject of Amazons, written by men, these warriors are always seen from the male point of view as enemies to be conquered or destroyed, who lose their power by marrying.
Here, Maria-Antonia Walpurgis, who worked with her husband on political reforms, shows us the opera from the perspective of women, especially Talestri, who asserts herself as queen and does not lose her power by marrying after having abolished the extreme laws of his kingdom to achieve the reconciliation of the two enemy peoples.

The music, which marks the switch between baroque and classical, has a remarkable liveliness and dramatic meaning, with numerous tales accompanied by the orchestra and poignant arias.

Bérénice Collet will stage this “war of the sexes”, with in addition to loving couples, a beautiful role of the high priestess, who will have to do a work of forgiveness for the offenses she has suffered in order to welcome her missing son.

English

Talestri by Walpurgis, From (2021/2022), Directed by Bérénice Collet,, Conductor Franck-Emmanuel Comte, Centre des Bords de Marne, Le Perreux-sur-Marne, France

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues