Théâtre de l'Archevêché - Théâtre de ...

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General Information

  • Opera house name :Théâtre de l'Archevêché
  • City, country :Aix-en-Provence France
  • Localization :Place des Résistants Open map
  • Official website URL :http://www.festival-aix.com/

Description

“When I was very young, I was struck by the extraordinary quality and originality of the way the opera house in Aix-en-Provence was run. Gabriel Dusserget had been able to bring in young teams, not part of the star system, artists who were eager to question the music they were to perform, orchestra conductors more intent on finding answers to the questions raised by the score than on demonstrating their savoir-faire.” Louis Erlo, artistic director of the Aix-en-Provence Festival when the Festival was celebrating its fortieth anniversary, is describing its co-founder and first artistic director Gabriel Dussurget.

In 1948, together with Roger Bigonnet, Dussurget set up the first operatic and musical events in Aix-en-Provence. The first trial runs were held in the courtyard of the former archbishop’s palace, on garden chairs for the audience and wooden planks for the artists, with Mozart on the programme and Hans Rosbaud conducting.  The following four years were also devoted to Mozart’s operas, with sliding sets by Cassandre for Don Giovanni, a set by Balthus for Cosi Fan Tutte, and a set by André Derain pour Abduction from the Seraglio. The stuff that dreams are made on! Dussurget immediately became part of the tradition inspired by Diaghilev, favouring the vision of painters as staging engine. From the start his artistic policy in terms of music was also a decisive factor right in the success of these events.

Not only was curiosity towards the music and the performers the leading criterion, but the mission was also to reveal young artists, in the finest settings (prestigious training or conductors). After its Mozartian beginnings at a time when few people – outside of Salzburg – were interested in Mozart, the Festival expanded its repertory considerably: Giulini came to conduct Rossini’s Barber of Seville; then two of Monteverdi’s operas, Orpheus and The Coronation of Poppaea, and Rameau, whose work was received enthusiastically by audiences. After a slack period, the Festival took off again in the late 1970s, thereby contributing to a general renewed interest in the lyric art. While Bernard Lefort called on young singing talents like the Hungarian Sylvia Sass, who was a revelation in the role of Traviata, and brought forgotten works back to the stage, he also hired big stars, and people still recall an unforgettable and charming Semiramis, sung by Montserrat Caballé and Marilyn Horne, in 1979, and a sumptuous Tancredi with Marilyn Horne and Katia Ricciarelli in 1981.

A smart patronage policy (Seita and Erato) and many co-productions, particularly with the Geneva and Lyon operas, enabled the organisers to stage new productions regularly. Appointed artistic director of the Festival in 1982, Louis Erlo focused on choosing works rather than performers. Orchestras featuring ancient instruments were introduced, and rare works by Mozart (Mitridate and La Finta Giardiniera), Rameau (Les Boréades or Hippolyte and Aricie), Campra (Tancrède) found a well-justified place on the programmes. Stage directors were very much in evidence and played a dominant role in Aix’s opera life: an Abduction from the Seraglio by Georges Lavaudan, a Chevalier à la Rose by Tobias Richter, an Orpheus by film director Claude Goretta and an Ariadne auf Naxos by Göran Järvefelt, who was a student of Ingmar Bergman, not to mention performances directed by J.-P. Vincent, Gildas Baudet, Pierre Strosser, etc.

But orchestra conductors were also chosen with care, according to the scores and the singers they were to lead. Hence the problems the singers ran into with Le Chevalier à la Rose were easier to resolve “under the control of Semyon Bychkov”.

Whether at the Théâtre de l'Archevêché (the courtyard set up with some 1,600 seats and, in 1986-1987, equipped with a real modern stage), or listening to a symphony or chamber-music concert, or perhaps a recital in Saint-Sauveur Cathedral or in one of the many courtyards of Aix’s jewel-like private homes, the audience could expect to experience enchantment and admiration. Unlike Salzburg, to which Aix is often compared, freedom, surprise and simplicity are often on the programme. And that is also Aix-en-Provence’s charm.

From 1998 to 2006, Stéphane Lissner headed the Festival. That same year the Théâtre de l’Archevêché was completely renovated, and the Festival presented new creations with the many commissioned works by Maresz, Eötvös, Sarhan and so many other composers. Young talents were also spotlighted with the establishment of the European Academy of Music.

In 2011, as Bernard Foccroulle, managing director, put it, it was time for diversity: “While La Clemenza di Tito is a classic opera par excellence, nourished by the dual tradition of opera seria and the Enlightenment, La Traviata explores with unusual realism – which explains the scandal caused by its premiere – the tragic life of a demi-mondaine on the fringes of polite society. The elegiac nature of the pastorale reigns over Acis and Galatea, a thousand light years from the biting irony shown by Gogol and Shostakovich in Le Nez. For the first time, the strange and elusive characters of Joël Pommerat are expressed in song in the score by Oscar Bianchi. »

Calendar

Dates
Productions
Schedules

the 04 of July, 2024

the 06 of July, 2024

the 09 of July, 2024

the 12 of July, 2024

the 15 of July, 2024

the 18 of July, 2024

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 05 of July, 2024

the 08 of July, 2024

the 10 of July, 2024

the 13 of July, 2024

the 16 of July, 2024

the 19 of July, 2024

the 22 of July, 2024

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 24 of July, 2023

the 22 of July, 2023

the 20 of July, 2023

the 18 of July, 2023

the 14 of July, 2023

the 12 of July, 2023

the 10 of July, 2023

the 07 of July, 2023

the 05 of July, 2023

the 04 of July, 2023

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 21 of July, 2023

the 19 of July, 2023

the 17 of July, 2023

the 15 of July, 2023

the 13 of July, 2023

the 11 of July, 2023

the 08 of July, 2023

the 06 of July, 2023

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 21 of July, 2023

the 18 of July, 2023

the 18 of July, 2023

the 13 of July, 2023

the 10 of July, 2023

the 07 of July, 2023

20:00

20:29

20:00

20:00

20:00

20:00

the 22 of July, 2022

the 19 of July, 2022

the 15 of July, 2022

the 13 of July, 2022

the 11 of July, 2022

the 08 of July, 2022

the 06 of July, 2022

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 20 of July, 2022

the 16 of July, 2022

the 14 of July, 2022

the 12 of July, 2022

the 09 of July, 2022

the 07 of July, 2022

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 25 of July, 2021

the 24 of July, 2021

the 22 of July, 2021

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 16 of July, 2021

the 14 of July, 2021

the 12 of July, 2021

the 09 of July, 2021

the 07 of July, 2021

the 05 of July, 2021

the 02 of July, 2021

the 30 of June, 2021

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 13 of July, 2021

the 10 of July, 2021

the 08 of July, 2021

the 06 of July, 2021

the 03 of July, 2021

the 01 of July, 2021

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 17 of July, 2020

the 15 of July, 2020

the 13 of July, 2020

the 10 of July, 2020

the 08 of July, 2020

the 03 of July, 2020

the 01 of July, 2020

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 14 of July, 2020

the 11 of July, 2020

the 09 of July, 2020

the 07 of July, 2020

the 04 of July, 2020

the 02 of July, 2020

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 22 of July, 2019

the 20 of July, 2019

the 17 of July, 2019

the 15 of July, 2019

the 12 of July, 2019

the 09 of July, 2019

the 06 of July, 2019

the 04 of July, 2019

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 19 of July, 2019

the 18 of July, 2019

the 16 of July, 2019

the 13 of July, 2019

the 10 of July, 2019

the 08 of July, 2019

the 05 of July, 2019

the 03 of July, 2019

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 23 of July, 2018

the 20 of July, 2018

the 18 of July, 2018

the 17 of July, 2018

the 13 of July, 2018

the 12 of July, 2018

the 10 of July, 2018

the 07 of July, 2018

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 16 of July, 2018

the 14 of July, 2018

the 11 of July, 2018

the 09 of July, 2018

the 06 of July, 2018

the 04 of July, 2018

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 21 of July, 2017

the 19 of July, 2017

the 17 of July, 2017

the 15 of July, 2017

the 13 of July, 2017

the 10 of July, 2017

the 08 of July, 2017

the 06 of July, 2017

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 18 of July, 2017

the 14 of July, 2017

the 11 of July, 2017

the 07 of July, 2017

the 05 of July, 2017

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 19 of July, 2016

the 17 of July, 2016

the 15 of July, 2016

the 13 of July, 2016

the 11 of July, 2016

the 08 of July, 2016

the 05 of July, 2016

the 02 of July, 2016

the 30 of June, 2016

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 14 of July, 2016

the 12 of July, 2016

the 09 of July, 2016

the 06 of July, 2016

the 04 of July, 2016

the 01 of July, 2016

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

22:00

the 21 of July, 2015

the 17 of July, 2015

the 13 of July, 2015

the 11 of July, 2015

the 08 of July, 2015

the 06 of July, 2015

the 03 of July, 2015

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 20 of July, 2015

the 18 of July, 2015

the 16 of July, 2015

the 12 of July, 2015

the 10 of July, 2015

the 07 of July, 2015

the 04 of July, 2015

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 22 of July, 2014

the 19 of July, 2014

the 13 of July, 2014

the 11 of July, 2014

the 09 of July, 2014

the 07 of July, 2014

the 04 of July, 2014

the 04 of July, 2014

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 18 of July, 2014

the 16 of July, 2014

the 12 of July, 2014

the 10 of July, 2014

the 05 of July, 2014

the 03 of July, 2014

21:00

21:00

21:00

21:00

21:00

21:00

the 18 of July, 2014

20:00

the 26 of July, 2013

the 24 of July, 2013

the 21 of July, 2013

the 19 of July, 2013

the 16 of July, 2013

the 14 of July, 2013

the 12 of July, 2013

the 09 of July, 2013

the 06 of July, 2013

the 04 of July, 2013

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

22:00

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 23 of July, 2013

the 20 of July, 2013

the 18 of July, 2013

the 15 of July, 2013

the 13 of July, 2013

the 10 of July, 2013

the 08 of July, 2013

the 05 of July, 2013

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 27 of July, 2012

the 25 of July, 2012

the 23 of July, 2012

the 17 of July, 2012

the 14 of July, 2012

the 12 of July, 2012

the 10 of July, 2012

the 07 of July, 2012

the 05 of July, 2012

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

22:00

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 19 of July, 2012

the 16 of July, 2012

the 13 of July, 2012

the 11 of July, 2012

the 09 of July, 2012

the 06 of July, 2012

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

21:30

the 24 of July, 2011

the 22 of July, 2011

the 20 of July, 2011

the 18 of July, 2011

the 16 of July, 2011

the 14 of July, 2011

the 12 of July, 2011

the 09 of July, 2011

the 08 of July, 2011

the 06 of July, 2011

00:00

00:00

00:00

00:00

00:00

00:00

00:00

00:00

00:00

00:00

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