Production :
Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège
Opéra Comique
Opéra Royal-Château de Versailles Spectacles

The story

In the 13^th century, near Tours, the young Countess Adele is moping around her castle, whilst her brother and all the men of the county are in the Holy Land. Disguised as a hermit, Count Ory, an incorrigible seducer, tries to woo the beauty in order to offer her some comfort. To a backdrop of romantic rivalries and many misunderstandings, a letter heralds the return of the crusaders…

For the festivities…

 Le Comte Ory, a subtle and incredibly fresh score, is the only comedy that Rossini wrote in French. Already immensely successful, the composer wished to conquer Paris. Before turning the page on the composition of operas, in 1828 for the Salle Le Peletier venue he composed, one year before the ultimate Guillaume Tell, a masterful work in which several brilliant passages of Il Viaggio a Reims are recycled, backed up by sumptuous music. A miracle of balance and subtlety, the work owes much to Mozart’s comedies. The importance of Isolier’s character, the Count’s pageboy, is reminiscent of Cherubino and perpetuated, in the 19^th century, the playing of parts of one gender by the other.

Acclaimed by both critics and audiences, the last two of Rossini’s operas, both so different from each other, brought him immense glory. They are still much appreciated to this day. Their perfection proves that the Swan of Pesaro possessed total mastery over tragedy and comedy.

For unforgettable end of year festivities, the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège will be staging this magnificent co-production, with sumptuous direction unanimously acclaimed by the press and audiences. Unmissable!

Le Comte Ory will also be produced at Palais des Beaux-Arts of Charleroi on saturday 5th of January 2019 at 8pm.

Introduction to performances: curtain-raisers

All the opera performances are preceded by an educational introduction open to all. They take place 30 minutes before the start of the performance, in the company of an opera specialist to provide a pertinent presentation of the work.