Ariane et Barbe-Bleue

It is a myth which has haunted the collective subconsciousness for centuries: the man who keeps women imprisoned in the depths of his castle. The man with the beard tinged with the blood of his victims. That man’s name has since become synonymous with one of Perrault’s tales: Bluebeard.

At the dawn of the 20^th century, Dukas based his one and only opera around him. Set to Maeterlinck’s impassioned poetry, this musical tale includes an additional character: Ariadne, the heroine from the legend of Theseus, who helped lead the latter out of the labyrinth and vanquish the Minotaur. For Dukas, Ariadne becomes the luminous thread in Bluebeard’s Castle.

On entering into this maze of passageways, doors, cellars, and vaults, Ariadne has but one goal in mind: to open the last door to free the prisoners. But the light collides with the contradictions of the human soul. And in this subterranean world, where Bluebeard is conspicuous by his absence, the heroine will discover that freedom can be frightening.

The unprecedented musical substance and depth of Dukas’ score bears the mark of Wagner and Debussy. The song is constantly overwhelmed by the orchestra, just like that sombre castle, where the water trembles over our heads and threatens to engulf us.

After his iconoclastic Offenbach Report, Mikaël Serre returns to the Lorraine National Opera. The Franco-German director does nothing to conceal the tenebrous zones, mental labyrinths and other monsters that lie dormant inside us. Intent on storming Bluebeard’s Castle, he questions our need to be saved and the price at which we are ready to sacrifice our freedom.

The performance on Sunday 30 January at 3 p.m. offers a Sunday workshop.

Duration
2h30 with interval

Performed in french with subtitles
Open to all aged 10 and above

Conference 
1 hour before the start of the performance (free, upon presentation of ticket)

The Sound of Tomorrow
The price of freedom
An in-depth discussion focused on the season’s female characters: Pamina, Ariadne, Julie and Floria Tosca
Speaker Charlotte Ginot-Slacik
Saturday January 22 – 11 am
(Free event)

Ariane et Barbe-Bleue, opera in three acts
First performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on May 10, 1907

New production Opéra national de Lorraine

Libretto
Maurice Maeterlinck

Music
Paul Dukas

Jean-Marie Zeitouni

Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra national de Lorraine

Mikaël Serre

Nina Wetzel

Sébastien Dupouey

Franck Evin

Jens Hillje

Elizabeth Calleo, Diane Clément

Marie Brandt

Catherine Hunold

Vincent Le Texier

Anaïk Morel

Héloïse Mas

Clara Guillon

Samantha Louis-Jean

Tamara Bounazou

Nine d'Urso

Benjamin Colin, Ill Ju Lee, Christophe Sagnier, Ju In Yoon

Benjamin Colin, Wook Kang, Christophe Sagnier

Sébastien Dupouey

Giuseppe Greco, Sébastien Dupouey

Michael Wetzel

Otilly Belcour, Antonin Cloteau, Charlène Cudrat, Mélina Dumay, Marc Latapie Sere,

Anna Moriot, Margot Pillant, Pauline Zaia