LA BELLE HELENE

Jacques Offenbach is one of France's greatest composers. He is famous for the lively nature of his music. He premiered La Belle Hélène in Paris at the Théâtre des Variétés in 1864 to a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halèvy. It is Offenbach's most frequently performed work.

The Atelier Lyrique de Bourgogne offers a traditional staging of La Belle Hélène with chorus, ballet and orchestra. The period sets and costumes allow us to travel back in time and live in the antique style for a few hours.

The play is inspired by the character of Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda, wife of the King of Sparta Menelaus but lover of Paris, son of the King of Troy (disguised as a shepherd). La Belle Hélène satirises the legend. Specifically, Paris, the son of King Priam, disguised as a shepherd, arrives in Sparta in search of the "love of the most beautiful woman in the world" promised to him by Venus at the Mount Ida contest. Calchas complies with Venus' wishes and agrees to help her win Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. In fact, a competition is being organised to discover "people of spirit".
The kings of Greece, Ajax the First, Ajax the Second and Achilles, come running, followed by Menelaus, Helen's husband and King of Sparta, and Agamemmnon. Having passed the three tests of the charade, the puns and the tablets, Paris reveals his identity. Calchas then utters a prophecy: "Menelaus must spend a month ... in the mountains of Crete". And so begin the adventures of our characters...


Cast: with Laurence Janot, Siegfried Bernard, Carlo Di Angelo, Benoît Jeanne, Fabio Sitzia, Maël Alvestegui Iglesias.

Production details

o Production: Atelier Lyrique de Bourgogne
o Chorus, ballet and orchestra of the Atelier Lyrique de Bourgogne
o Director: Carlo Di Angelo
o Musical Direction: Bruce Grant
o Sets: Hélène Favier
o Costumes: Agnès Montanari
o General and Artistic Direction: Stéphanie Gastaud

Running time: 2h40 with intermission