Summaries

The rare biblical opera 'David and Jonathas' is like 'Médée', one of the major works of the French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The opera has been in the repertoire of Les Arts Florissants since 1988 and was first presented in a stage production by William Christie at the Aix-en-Provence Festival 2012. This DVD release is a special event for all Baroque music lovers. Written a year after the death of Lully, this lyric tragedy allows Charpentier to develop beyond the religious dimension, a story of male friendship and forbidden love between David and Jonathas. An excellent cast gathered around William Christie and Les Arts Florissants brings young singers to the title roles: Pascal Charbonneau, a tenor and a former student of the European Academy of Music, sings David. The role of Jonathas is given to a woman: soprano Ana Quintans. The staging by Andreas Homoki (Director of the Zurich Opera since summer 2012) focuses on the psychological aspect of this forbidden love story, giving a moving reading of the drama.

Details

Keywords
  • tragedy
  • jewish
  • stage performance
  • french opera
  • baroque opera
Genres
  • Drama
  • Musical
Release date Jun 30, 2012
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) Unrated
Countries of origin France
Official sites Official site
Language French
Filming locations Théâtre de l'Archevêché, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
Production companies Mezzo Bel Air Media Festival d'Aix-en-Provence

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 2h 10m
Color Color
Sound mix Stereo
Aspect ratio 16:9 HD

Synopsis

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