MIDI DU FESTIVAL — IS THE OPERATIC REPERTOIRE SET IN STONE?

From Cavalli and Mozart to Charpentier and Britten, composers have constantly adapted their own works, or those of their predecessors, to suit the specific context and the constraints of a performance. The “perfect performance” of an opera, in which meaning is immutably fixed by the creators of the work, may well not exist; and the very malleability of these masterpieces – their openness to interpretation, whether musical or theatrical – is one of the key reasons for their continued relevance over the centuries. We will ask the main conductors and stage directors of the 2025 edition whether remaining faithful to the artist’s intentions helped guide their approach to La Calisto, Don Giovanni, Louise and Billy Budd.

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Sébastien Daucé (conductor – La Calisto), Ted Huffman (stage director, adaptation, costumes and accessories – The Story of Billy Budd, Sailor), Oliver Leith (musical adaptation – The Story of Billy Budd, Sailor), Christof Loy (stage director – Louise), Jetske Mijnssen (stage director – La Calisto) and Claire Pasquier (artist from the opera company Collectif Meute).