A new staging of Rameau’s Les Indes galantes combines exquisite 18th century music with the expressive potency of contemporary street dance styles in a one-of-a-kind exploration of identity, culture and expression. Co-conceived by director-choreographer and French hip hop pioneer Bintou Dembélé and conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón, the performance features their respective ensembles: the dancers of Structure Rualité, Namur Chamber Choir, and period orchestra Cappella Mediterranea, all making their UK opera debuts. Cappella Mediterranea is one of the most in-demand period ensembles in the world, having recently completed a Monteverdi cycle for the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, as well as engagements at the Opéra national de Paris, Salzburg Easter Festival, La Monnaie (Brussels), and Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin). The production will also feature leading Baroque soloists Gwendoline Blondeel,Ana Quintans, Alasdair Kent and Andreas Wolf.
One of the most beautiful baroque opera-ballets ever composed, this is a rare chance to see Rameau’s musical masterpiece, in a carefully crafted new version which will also be performed at Teatro Real (Madrid) and Teatro alla Scala (Milan) among others. Be prepared to be swept away by powerful storytelling as this ornate period score fuses with the emotive physicality of street dance and hip hop styles, with electrifying and deeply moving results.
Composer — Jean-Philippe Rameau
Librettist — Louis Fuzelier
Orchestra — Cappella Mediterranea
Chorus — Namur Chamber Choir
Dancers — Structure Rualité
Sung in — French
Creatives
Leonardo García-Alarcón
Conductor
Bintou Dembélé
Director & Choreographer
Noémi Ndiaye
Dramaturg
Benjamin Nesme
Lighting Designer
Anaïs Durand Munyankindi
Costume Designer
Cast
Gwendoline Blondeel
Soprano
Ana Quintans
Soprano
Alasdair Kent
Tenor
Andreas Wolf
Bass
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