Opéra de Monte-Carlo unveils an Unprecedented Program celebrating Five Centuries of Music!
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo and its director, Cecilia Bartoli, unveiled an exciting program which will run from October 2024 to the end of March 2025. Fourteen events totalling thirty performances, including five staged productions, three operas in concert, and a repertoire spanning over five centuries are all on the agenda.
“I hope our season will live up to your expectations and win your hearts!” – Cecilia Bartoli.
Centenary of Giacomo Puccini
Kicking things off will be a festival celebrating one hundred years since the passing of Giacomo Puccini, who premiered his opera La Rondine at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in 1917. Four events will commemorate the centenary, including La Rondine, followed by La bohème, Tosca and the gala Viva Puccini! on the stage of the Grimaldi Forum.
“This gives a broader audience access to these works that appeal not only to newcomers but also to connoisseurs thanks to the excellence of their performers,” said Princess Caroline, President of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
Musiciens du Prince perform at the Cathedral
Another highlight is a special concert at the Cathedral of Monaco, when Les Musiciens du Prince will perform Monteverdi before they embark on a world tour.
New Year’s Eve
On 31 December, audiences will be celebrating New Year’s Eve at a joyful opera followed by an exceptional dinner. In January, the Opéra will be delving into the world of Mozart with a return of the Vienna Staatsoper, for a concert version of Don Giovanni and a new production of La clemenza di Tito, in which Cecilia Bartoli will be singing the role of Sesto.
World first: Wagner concert on period instruments
In February and March, the spotlight turns to Wagner and the different ways in which his music may be approached today. The Opéra Monte-Carlo’s production of Das Rheingold will be the first time ever that a Wagner opera performed on period instruments will be fully staged. A modern orchestra will take to stage during a concert dedicated to Tristan and Isolde, which will be conducted and sung by some of the leading Wagner experts of today.
Centenary of Maurice Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges
According to Princess Caroline, although many dates have marked the Principality’s cultural history, one stands out in particular: March 21, 1925. On that evening, Maurice Ravel premiered his opera L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. It was conceived with the help of writer Colette and director of the Ballets Russes, Serge Diaghilev, as well as a young ballet master, George Balanchine. One hundred years later, to the day, the curtain at the Salle Garnier will rise once again for the charming “lyric fantasy” on 21 March 2025. It will be paired with his other opera, the mischievous Heure espagnole.
