Nice Côte d’Azur Opera presents a musical tragedy by French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully created in 1683 for the Sun King. A play in five acts, to a libretto by Philippe Quinault, based on the legend of Phaéton, son of Helios, the Sun, who, out of vanity, wanted to drive his father’s chariot, set the Universe on fire and was struck down by Jupiter .
Reference to Fouquet
A show based on the fall of the one who wanted to rise as high as the sun. This piece is a direct reference to the fate of Superintendent Nicolas Fouquet who, twenty years earlier, fell into disgrace and was imprisoned by Louis XIV, after a sumptuous party at his castle in Vaux-le-Vicomte. Festivities deemed outrageous by the king.
The premiere of Phaeton took place at Versailles on January 6, 1683. The play greatly pleased the sovereign, who attended all the performances.
Directed by Eric Oberdorff, Phaeton is the first baroque piece performed at the Opéra de Nice, and the public responded with three almost sold-out performances.
The meeting of a work by Lully with the public of the Opéra de Nice who are not accustomed to hearing this kind of baroque works, from the French baroque of the Louis XIV period, is the meeting between a style and a music special and an orchestra and a choir that usually do not play this repertoire. And I brought with me baroque instruments, which meet modern instruments, and therefore, there is a real dialogue that has been established
Jerome CorreasMusic Director
An experience also for the tenor Mark Van Arsdale who puts on the costume of Phaéton: “Phaeton and Lully’s music, are not based on great sung tunes, great singing moments. The opera is really based on the text, and on the sung theatre, it’s a sung theater piece (…) and Éric Oberdorff gave us the space and the time to express ourselves, for these moments of intimacy, and of rage, spoken and sung“.
“Phaéton” by Jean-Baptiste Lully to a libretto by Philippe Quinault – Directed by Éric Oberdorff – Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur – Friday March 25 at 8 p.m. and Sunday March 27 at 3 p.m. – Information and reservations on the ‘opera.