Name: Le Roi d'Ys
Start: 2008-03-28T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2008-04-05T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Théâtre Royal de Liège

Organization

Singer

Mezzo-soprano

Giuseppina Piunti

Margared

Soprano

Guylaine Girard

Rozenn

Bass

Eric-Martin Bonnet

Le Roi d'Ys

Tenor

Sebastien Gueze

Mylio

Bass-baritone

Werner Van Mechelen

Karnac

Léonard Graus

Saint Corentin

Baritone

Marc Tissons

Jahel

Conductor

Patrick Davin

Stage director

Jean-Louis Pichon

Costume designer

Frédéric Pineau

Set designer

Alexandre Heyraud

Chorus master

Edouard Rasquin

Lighting designer

Michel Theuil

Assistant Director

Jean-Christophe Mast

Saint-Corentin

Opéra Royal de Wallonie - Liège

Others

Choeur de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège

Orchestra

Royal Opera of Wallonia Orchestra

Le Roi d'Ys -  (The King of Ys)

Liège

Belgium

Théâtre Royal de Liège

Petit Théâtre

Composed between 1875 and 1878, Le roi d'Ys was met with incredible success, with 100 performances the year of its premiere. The soprano Giuseppina Piunti (Margared) joins the Wallonie-Liège Royal Opera Orchestra under the direction of par Patrick Davin, and Jean-Louis Pichon’s staging bring this chef-d’œuvre of the Wagnerian opera to new heights. 

Written by Édouard Blau, the libretto of the opera Le roi d’Ys (“The King of Ys”) has all the elements of a Romantic tale: love, jealousy, fear, and a touch of magic. Inspired by a legend from France’s region of Brittany of the city and castle of Ys, it tells the story of the King Gradlon and his daughter Ahès-Dahut who gave the key to the lock to one of her lovers so that he can come to her bed. Set to colorful and contrast-filled music, the plot mixes with that of Lohengrin and the conclusion comes from the Ghost Ship. Ever original, Lalo’s harmonic writing is at its height in the overture, and the Andantino that paints the portrait of Rozenn one of the King of Ys’s daughters is without a doubt one of the most spectacular pages of the French symphonic repertoire.

A very successful opera in the first half of the 20th century, Lalo's work can only be seen very rarely. In the Liège production, the stage design and costumes create an almost biblical setting that could have come from a Hollywood film. The subject is similarly striking but atmospheric.

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