0 upcoming performances
Composed for Louis XIV by Jean-Baptiste Lully and his faithful librettist Philippe Quinault, who drew his inspiration from Ovid, Persée has all the ingredients of a monumental opera. This spectacular work, punctuated by dances, fight scenes, and special effects, tells the extraordinary story of Perseus, the son of Zeus, who defeated a snake-haired monster, the gorgon Medusa. A typical Lully opera, it comprises an overture, a prologue (praising Louis XIV) and five acts. This highly flamboyant work blends heroic glory and the pangs of love with balance and finesse. Over a century after its premiere, Persée was chosen by Louis XV to inaugurate the new opera house at the Palace of Versailles for the marriage of Marie-Antoinette and the Dauphin. It has been a sleeping beauty on the opera stage ever since and audiences are now flocking to see it because it is so rarely performed.
No upcoming performance scheduled.