Opera ‘The Tsar’s Bride’

Opéra / bordeaux

29 May - 4 June 2027

Discover Rimsky-Korsakov’s spectacular work | Villalobos

New production by the Bordeaux Opera

*The Tsar’s Bride* (1899) ranks amongst the masterpieces of Romantic opera. Both an epic tale and a musical fresco of unique scope, this opera calls for powerful voices, a rich orchestra and an ever-present chorus. The opera is based on the story of Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century, who, isolated by his power, secretly attempts to find a wife. Standing in contrast to this predator is the role of Marfa, an icon of purity soaring through the highest notes in an attempt to rise above a world of men seeking to control her. Particularly attuned to the various forms that male domination has taken, both in the past and today, Rafael R. Villalobos highlights, in his new production of *The Tsar’s Bride*, the central role that ‘love potions’ have played for centuries in our culture: ‘This work stands out today not only as a historical drama with one of the most beautiful and inspired scores in the Russian classical repertoire, but also as a mirror which, more than a century later, continues to reflect the ways in which power can appropriate women’s bodies and destinies. ”

Events surrounding the performance

• Wednesday 19 May, 5.00 pm: lecture by Sophie Gaillot Miczka, Grand-Théâtre
• Saturday 29 May, 6.30 pm: meet the creative team, Auditorium
• Saturday 5 June, 3.00 pm: lecture ‘Alexander Serov, the Russian Wagnerian’ by Michel Casse, Grand-Théâtre