The triumph of his fourth work propelled Francesco Cilea towards the heights of notoriety. His topic was well chosen: it set to music the love and death of an eighteenth century French tragedian. Adulated as a star, the actress died mysteriously, aged 37. After this work, Cilea devoted himself almost entirely to teaching by running a number of Italian conservatories, and never returned to the same heights of success until his death in 1950. Thanks to his vocal writing, both lyrical and delicate, his masterpiece, for its part, was never eclipsed. It was interpreted by the greatest singers of the century: Mafalda Favero, Magda Olivero and Renatta Scotto. In order to create a parallel with the other legend of French theater, Sarah Bernhardt, David Livermore chose to transpose his stage to the time when the Church was still burning Parisians at the stake. Although the Church refused a Christian funeral to the remains of Adrienne Lecouvreur, it was thanks to a timid and introverted composer that she enjoyed eternity.

November 19^th, 2017 at 8:00 pm (by invitation of the Palace), November 23^rd, 2017 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, November 26^th, 2017 at 3:00 pm – Salle des Princes – www.opera.mc