Romeo and Giulieta - ZINGARELLI

An opera in three acts to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, premièred at La Scala in Milan in 1796.

Chœur de l’Opéra Royal
Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal

Under the high patronage of Aline Foriel-Destezet

Stefan Plewniak Conductor

Franco Fagioli Romeo
Adèle Charvet Juliet
Krystian Adam Evrard
Valentino Buzza Théobald
Nicolò Balducci Gilbert
Florie Valiquette Mathilde

Gilles Rico Stage director

Roland Fontaine Sets

Christian Lacroix Costumes

Bertrand Couderc Lighting

Napoleon's favorite opera

Napoleon's fervor for opera was extreme. Conquered by the opera Romeo and Juliet, this great music lover brought to him a young Italian star, the contralto Giuseppina Grassini, and the most dazzling castrato: Girolamo Crescentini, the only singer to move the Emperor to tears. Invited to France from 1806 to 1812, Crescentini enjoyed the glorious evenings of the Chapelle Impériale at the Tuileries, in the company of Grassini, appointed First Cantatrice to His Majesty the Emperor - and his mistress. Napoleon's musical passion was Italian opera: 143 concerts by Italian soloists at court between 1810 and 1815 bear witness to this!

Grassini and Crescentini's workhorse was Zingarelli's opera Giulietta e Romeo, premiered at La Scala in 1796, and performed many times before Napoleon in Paris by his two favorite singers. “They excite heroism in me”, said Napoleon. With Franco Fagioli and Adèle Charvet, this duo of Empire stars is brought back to life, resurrecting Zingarelli's totally forgotten opera, even though it was a triumph throughout Europe for three decades, thanks to a sumptuous Bel Canto: this is Napoleon's Opera !

Production Opéra Royal / Château de Versailles Spectacles

The Centre de musique baroque de Versailles is making available its collection of sets designed by Antoine Fontaine.