Les Fêtes de Thalie Salon Series

In preparation for our performance of Mouret’s Les Fêtes de Thalie, coming to Washington, DC and New York in May, Opera Lafayette and guest speakers are hosting a FREE Virtual Salon Series for all. Join us as we take a unique look into our upcoming production and delve further into the history and musical influences of Madame de Maintenon, the inspiration for our 2023-2024 musical season.

THE BATTLE OF THE MUSES

With musicologist Rebecca Harris-Warrick, stage director Catherine Turocy,
and tenor Patrick Kilbride

Les Fêtes de Thalie, one of the rare instances of comic opera performed at the Paris Opéra during the reign of Louis XIV, was a product of a changing urban environment, not of the court of Versailles, which by 1714 was becoming less and less relevant to French cultural life.  Librettist Joseph La Font and composer Jean-Joseph Mouret, both newcomers to the operatic stage, set the work’s three irreverent stories in their own time, surrounding them with a frame in which the Muses argue over the merits of comedy in opera.  Scholar Rebecca Harris-Warrick presents the historical and aesthetic contexts that gave rise to this anomalous work; director Catherine Turocy discusses her concepts for staging it today; and Patrick Kilbride provides a preview of the comic roles he is singing within it.

MUSICAL PREPARATION OF LES FÊTES DE THALIE

With guest artist and edition creator Korneel Bernolet,
along with guest performers

*These sessions are completely free, but please be sure to register in advance to receive the link to participate. If you enjoy these talks and demonstrations, please consider making a donation to Opera Lafayette’s educational programs.