"Otello" - nicknamed the drama of love, illustrates through music and scenic portrayal a conglomerate of states, emotions, and traits inherent to human nature and attributed to Shakespearean characters: love, honor, faith, jealousy, revenge, success, hatred, power. The opera is set in the late 1400s in a small town on the coast of the island of Cyprus and evokes the drama of love between the Moor Otello and the beautiful Desdemona. The perfidious attempt of Iago to separate the two and to remove Otello, the governor of Cyprus, from power in order to take his place, ends in a tragedy that led to the creation of one of the most beautiful and renowned operas, a true masterpiece by the composer Giuseppe Verdi. see more
In their Latin Quarter garret, the painter Marcello and poet Rodolfo try to keep warm by burning pages from Rodolfo's latest drama. They are joined by their comrades — Colline, a young philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician who has landed a job and brings food, fuel and funds. But while they celebrate their unexpected fortune, the landlord, Benoit, arrives to collect the rent. Plying the older man with wine, they urge him to tell of his flirtations, and then throw him out in mock indignation... see more
The National Opera and Ballet Theatre presents Swan Lake, one of the greatest classical masterpieces. A jewel of the classical repertoire, this ballet brings to life the romantic love story between Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette, a prisoner of a spell: transform herself into a swan by day and become a woman again by night. In the face of the deceit of the sorcerer and his daughter, will the Prince succeed in freeing his bride? Between poetic duets and spirited choreographies, the brilliant dancers will thus link Spanish Pas, Mazurka, and the inevitable Dance of the Little Swans… Symbol of romantic ballet, Swan Lake explores the meanders of eternal love and continues to seduce generations of spectators. see more
… In a square in Seville, soldiers are amused by passers-by. They are interested in the beautiful Micaëla, a young woman from the country, who came to look for her boyfriend, Don José. The workers from the tobacco factory appear. Among them is the sensual Carmen, who tries to provoke Don José. Micaëla's meeting with Don José is an opportunity to reminisce about their native village. A scandal erupts at the factory, culminating in the arrest of Carmen. She enchants Don José and, in exchange for promises to meet him again, he helps her escape - here is one of the well-known scenes of the opera "Carmen" that fascinates the audience with the dramatic subject, but also with the explosion of color, temperament, rhythms. Today, "Carmen" is probably one of the most popular operas in the world. see more
Bellini’s Norma is the story of the Druid High-Priestess, who has broken her vows by getting involved with the Roman Pollione. Pollione has fallen out of love with Norma, and now loves the priestess Adalgisa. The two women band together over their shared doomed love, after Norma reveals that she has had children by Pollione. They denounce him, and only when Norma volunteers to sacrifice herself - a priestess who offended her faith - to the Druid rites, does Pollione have a change of heart; he joins her on the pyre, and leaves their children to Adalgisa. see more
The figure of the Thracian gladiator Spartacus, leader of the slave revolt in the Roman Republic, has inspired numerous works of art and can be found in nearly all artistic genres and representations that have survived over time. Visual arts, theater, literature, ballet, and film have evoked this heroic character perhaps more than art has for any other figure in the universal pantheon. Spartacus symbolizes rebellion, but also the grandeur of freedom. The ballet "Spartacus," composed by the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, stands out for its unique musicality—a classical ballet, created in a modern style, capturing the mood, tragedy, and lyrical atmosphere of that era marked by the fall of Rome. Beyond the historical context in which the ballet's action takes place, "Spartacus" remains a timeless work that emphasizes values beyond time: courage, dignity, and freedom. see more