Malandain Ballet Biarritz: Marie-Antoinette at the Château de Versailles Spectacles

Cast

Thierry Malandain Choregraphy
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Music
Jorge Gallardo Stage sets and costumes
Frédéric Vadé Set production
Françoise Dubuc et Richard Coudray Maîtres de Ballet

Orchestre Symphonique d'Euskadi
Mélanie Levy-Thiébaut Conductor

Presentation

CREATION

The director of Château de Versailles Spectacles, Laurent Brunner, has invited Thierry Malandain to create Marie-Antoinette in 2019, on symphonies by Joseph Haydn.

After Cinderella (2013) and The Beauty and the Beast (2015), also created for the Royal Opera of Versailles, Thierry Malandain will stage another figure of the collective imaginary, sometimes presented in a caricatural way as “The Austrian woman” or “Mrs Deficit”.

However, rather than balls, receptions and jewellery, her taste for the arts, theatre, music and dance is less well known. Marie-Antoinette had staff dedicated to the organisation of her entertainment, but she took care personally of court spectacles and was also involved in Paris ones. She was the protector of many artists, notably Christoph Willibald Gluck, her music teacher in Vienna, and called to Paris the choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre – considered as the founder of modern ballet – who was appointed Maître de Ballet at the opera in 1775. She sang, played the harpsichord and harp and sometimes acted, with a preference for plays with ariettas. But the role of her life was that of Dauphine and then Queen of France, between etiquette, idleness, frivolity and intrigues.

From this highly theatrical material, Thierry Malandain will pursue his exploration of the favourite themes of his repertoire.

Coproduction: Opéra Royal Château de Versailles Spectacles ; Orchestre Symphonique d'Euskadi de Donostia / San Sebastián ; Donostia Kultura - Victoria Eugenia Antzokia de Donostia / San Sebastián - Ballet T ; CCN Malandain Ballet Biarritz ; Opéra de Reims ; Music Hall Antwerpen.
Partners: Opéra de Vichy ; Teatro de la Maestranza y salas del Arenal de Séville (Espagne).

PROGRAMME

Malandain Ballet Biarritz
Marie-Antoinette
Ballet for 22 dancers

The 2019 Gala of the Friends of the Royal Opera will be held on March 31^st during the ballet Marie-Antoinette (7 pm session) to benefit the musical season of the Royal Opera House. Experience a dazzling evening at Versailles with a champagne reception in the sumptuous neo-Gothic setting of the Crusades Room and a grand dinner in the majestic Gallery of Great Battles.