Vivaldi : Gloria e Imeneo

Commissioned from Vivaldi by the French Ambassador to Venice to commemorate the marriage of Louis XV and the Polish Princess Marie Leszczynska in September 1725, this wedding serenata was no doubt performed in the Ambassador’s gardens at a sumptuous celebration featuring music, dance, festivities and fine dining. The publication of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons that same year had won him an outstanding reputation throughout Europe, and the composer’s fame was at its peak. The serenade is based on two characters, in tribute to the young royal couple: Imeneo (Hymen, the god of marriage) and Gloria (Glory, the attribute of the King of France). Through their beauty and virtuosity, Hymen and Gloria vie with one another in celebrating the glowing story of the French Monarchy and congratulating the young couple, until their voices unite in a splendid final duet. Among Vivaldi's many works, this short opera for the Court of France is without a doubt equally impressive for its charm as for its mastery.

The two young star counter-tenors, France’s Théo Imart and Italy’s Nicolò Balducci, will combine their sublime voices – especially at home in the soprano register – to lend Vivaldi the quicksilver colour that so well complements his music. Accompanied by the Orchestra of the Opéra Royal, they are conducted by Stefan Plewniak, the awe-inspiring violin virtuoso, who promised to play a high-voltage version of the piece! The director Nicolas Briançon – who won a Molière award in 2015 and seven nominations in 2019! – will bring this formidable musical allegory to life amid the incredible period sets of the Théâtre de la Reine, which have been specially arranged for the occasion.  An exceptional evening at an intimate, miraculously well-preserved royal theatre.

The Royal Opera Production / Palace of Versailles Shows