La belle Hélène
Opera by Jacques Offenbach
Video on Demand of the recording of «La belle Hélène» from 1997 was available here free of charge from Friday, March 12 at 6 pm until Monday, March 15, 2021 at 11 am.
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Cast
Musical direction Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Stage direction Helmut Lohner
Stage design Paolo Piva
Costumes Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
Lighting design Robertus Cremer
Choirmaster Ernst Raffelsberger
Hélène, Queen of Sparta Vesselina Kasarova
Pâris, son of the King Deon van der Walt
Priamos Calchas, High priest of Jupiter Carlos Chausson
Ménélas, King of Sparta Volker Vogel
Agamemnon, King of kings Oliver Widmer
Oreste, son of Agamemnon Liliana Nikiteanu
Ajax Premier, King of Salamis Rubén Amoretti
Ajax Deuxième, King of Locris Cheyne Davidson
Achille, King of Phtiotis Steve Davislim
Bacchis, Hélène's attendant Ruth Rohner
Leœna, a courtesan Ulrika Precht
Parthœnis, a courtesan Lisa Larsson
Philocome, servant of the Calcha, commissioner of Thunder Karl Adam
Euthyclès, a blacksmith Jean-Paul Boeglin
A slave Jakob Baumann
Choir of the Zurich Opera House
Statistenverein at the Opera House
Zurich Opera House Orchestra
Presented by
«A wonderful memory of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who uses his knowledge, experience, and his irrepressible love of music-making in the service of Offenbach’s operettas.»
Andreas Homoki
La Belle Hélène, the beautiful Helen, known in ancient myths as the most beautiful women in the world, is bored to tears by her marriage to Menelaus. Venus is tasked with finding her a lover that can live up to the name – naturally, without her husband noticing. It will come as no surprise that this task leads to the usual erotic entanglements and misunderstandings that always seem to happen in an operetta. But Jacques Offenbach’s opéra bouffe is more than just a comedic romp. This charming, intrigue-laden firecracker of a piece is more than just a parody of those mythological gods and their frivolous escapades. Much more: it brilliantly exaggerates the decadence of French society under Napoleon III. And the grand operas of Offenbach’s time also get taken for a ride.
In this performance from 1997, our Belle Hélène is especially fresh: Nikolaus Harnoncourt, at the time already known for his historically informed interpretation of Baroque and Classical works, conducted the Zürcher Opernorchester with a smaller string section, colorfully illuminated brass, and rich percussion. In the title role is Vesselina Kasarova, radiant in her appearance, boasting an erotic timbre and sensuous charisma, with the chorus and orchestra alongside her in top form. And fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s lush, vibrant costumes are still a feast for the eyes.