Cast
Oratorio in two parts to an anonymous libretto, after Racine’s tragedy Athalie, premiered in Rome in 1692.
Camille Poul Atalia
Bastien Rimondi Ormano
Mélodie Ruvio Nurse
Furio Zanasi Sacerdote
Virginie Thomas Chorus soprano
Ensemble Hemiolia
Emmanuel Resche-Caserta Conductor
Concert in Italian without surtitles
Presentation
Francesco Gasparini’s Atalia is reborn at the Château de Versailles. This is a forgotten masterpiece, an oratorio of great dramatic intensity and exuberant music; it is also the first oratorio inspired by a work of French literature, Athalie by Racine. This piece by the French genius of tragedy was in fact first performed a year earlier, in 1691, at the Collège de Saint-Cyr near Paris. In Rome, pupils at religious colleges were also accustomed to performing his works; one version of this sacred story was played, in Italian, at the Collegio Clementino in 1692. Gasparini himself wrote the music – he was a famous pupil of Corelli and would soon go on to become Maestro di Coro de l’Ospedale de la Pietà in Venice, where Vivaldi officiated.
The plot is as follows: Atalia, a paranoid imposter queen who has abandoned religion, fears an uprising among her people. Dreading the prospect of losing the throne, she descends into murderous madness, demanding her loyal Ormonte to execute her most outspoken detractor, Sacerdote, the high priest. But, with the help of the nanny, Nutrice, he Sacerdote secretly plots the inevitable fall of the tyrant queen.
The Hemiolia ensemble with Emmanuel Resche-Caserta, who made a name for themselves with the concert Corelli: Trionfo Romano performed in 2021 at the Grand Trianon, return to the château to revive this Roman masterpiece so closely connected to French ingenuity.
Concert produced in world re-creation on 10th June 2023 by ROMA BAROCCA IN MUSICA - president Régis Nacfaire de Saint Paulet
With the support of ADOR - The Friends of the Royal Opera
This programme is recorded on CD for the Château de Versailles Spectacles label.
Hercules Room
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Prices
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Prestige
PRESTIGE CATEGORY : Excellent seats with complimentary glass of champagne and programme.
REDUCED RATE applicable to under 26s, Chateau de Versailles Spectacles card holders and groups of more than 10 people (excluding special company offer).
To ensure the best welcome possible, people with limited mobility are advised to book their seats by telephone at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 89.
In case of any technical problem, the box office service remain available to complete your order by phone at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 89 (Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm) or in our box office-shop (3 bis rue des Réservoirs, 78000 Versailles ; Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturdays with concerts or shows except during the Musical Fountains Shows, from 2pm to 5pm).
Entrance and placement conditions will be adapted according to the health protocol enforced.
