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Molière

Molière 400 Years Cycle

During the exceptional artistic effervescence of the reign of Louis XIV, the Molière years remain legendary! The author, whose 400th birthday is celebrated, was sixteen years older than the King and first appeared before His Majesty in 1658. Actor, author, director and troupe leader, he soon became a protégé of the King, who associated him with the creation of major royal entertainment projects. In 1664, the King danced at the performances of The Forced Marriage and applauded the premiere of Tartuffe in the Gardens of Versailles. Molière's collaboration with Lully gave the court its most magnificent shows: the comedies-ballets George Dandin (1668) and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (1670) remain the most famous, and Psyché (1671) the duo's most ambitious project, which was also the cause of their break-up. Molière created Le Malade Imaginaire, his ultimate work in 1673 with Charpentier. This career, so closely linked to the Sun King and Versailles, was bound to find a splendid celebration in the Opéra Royal: three staged masterpieces, two CD releases and concerts combining the most beautiful musical pieces written for Molière, bringing together the best artists, from Guillaume Gallienne and the Comédie-Française to William Christie, who will create a theatrical and musical firework on scale of the event.

The Molière 400 Years Cycle is made possible thanks to the support of the Fondation de l'Opéra Royal, its first philanthropic endeavor in maintaining a season of artistic performances at the Château de Versailles.

The Molière 400 Years Cycle receives exceptional support from Madame Aline Foriel-Destezet.