L'Enlèvement au sérail

Konstanze's heroic impulses are juxtaposed with Blondchen's sparkling energy, while Osmin brings an irresistible comic touch that makes the work so special.

Written at a pivotal moment in the composer's life, this score already reveals a rich musical imagination and a remarkable sense of drama. Mozart plays with styles, rhythms, and emotions, giving birth to a work that is at once accessible, brilliant, and profoundly expressive.

Approached as a "contemporary tale," this version remains true to its gaiety tinged with unease. The harem appears less as an exotic setting than as a gilded cage, a shifting space where social hierarchies and power dynamics falter. Contrasting costumes, the stylized elegance of the masters, the almost carnivalesque energy of the servants, and an evolving set design all convey this waltz of positions.

The Abduction from the Seraglio celebrates the power of feelings, freedom of choice, and fidelity to oneself. A luminous and audacious opera, it continues to captivate with its freshness, intelligence, and irresistible vitality.

Opera in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1782)
Libretto by Stéphanie Gottlieb, based on a play by Bretzner
Sung in German, with French surtitles – Bärenreiter Edition