Miroir de nos peines

Miroir de nos peines Hèctor Parra World Premiere Palais Garnier Duration: 3h00 with 1 interval Language: French Surtitles: French / English What connects Louise, the young waitress from “La Petite Bo

Miroir de nos peines

Hèctor Parra

World Premiere

Palais Garnier

Duration: 3h00 with 1 interval

Language: French Surtitles: French / English

What connects Louise, the young waitress from “La Petite Bohème”, Raoul, an unscrupulous deserter, Gabriel, an upright mathematics teacher, and the mysterious Désiré, who is by turns a spokesperson for the Ministry of Information, a street singer, and a priest? The “Phoney War” and the debacle of 1940, which each of these children of disaster experiences in their own way. Through their epic journey on the roads of the exodus, Louise’s mother’s past comes to light, revealing unexpected links between the characters. Composer Hèctor Parra takes on Pierre Lemaitre’s bestselling novel, Miroir de nos peines, to deliver a lyrical score that blends drama and comedy. His music draws as much from 20th and 21st-century French opera as it does from the realistic chansons of the 1930s, right up to the urban music that reflects them. This world premiere, commissioned by the Opéra de Paris, is directed by Mariame Clément, who provides a realistic setting for this rich and choral work, a mirror of our present.

Ingo Metzmacher Musical direction

Mariame Clément Stage direction

Vannina Santoni Louise

Léo Vermot-Desroches Désiré

Leigh Melrose Raoul

Laurent Naouri Monsieur Jules

Jérôme Boutillier Fernand

Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur Alice

Bastien Rimondi Gabriel

Eugénie Joneau Sœur Cécile

Julie Boulianne Henriette Thirion

Yann Beuron Monsieur de Varambon, Howsler

Orchestra and Choirs of the Opéra national de Paris

Commissioned by the Opéra national de Paris