45 minutes before the bells call you into the house, it’s time to refresh your memory and go back to the beginnings of the opera: we offer a brief introduction to remind you what the work is all about and what kind of magical, apocalyptic, critical or hyper-realistic worlds the people behind the production have in store for you. Lickety-split, there’s just enough time to grab some bubbly before you take your seats under the star-studded ceiling of a thousand and one operas!
 
45 minutes before each performance
Free admittance with performance tickets
In the main room

Enoch Arden
 
“A soundtrack without a film,” is how musicologist John Pritchett describes Richard Strauss’ monodrama Enoch Arden. This forgotten gem by the composer dates from 1897 and was written for spoken voice and piano. A symphonic conceived piano part accompanies Lord Tennyson’s story. The story is about a love triangle played out on the English rocky coast: two friends, Enoch Arden and Philip Ray, are both in love with Annie Lee; when Annie Lee chooses Enoch, Philip suffers in silence, but when Enoch fails to return from a long sea trip, Philip takes the fatherless family under his wing… In this production, fresh from Belgium and revisiting the little-known musical genre of monodrama, the story is carried not only by an actress and a pianist (Isabella Soupart and Guy Vandromme) but also by visual artist Koenraad Tinel and video artist Maja Jantar. This new triangulation gives life to Tennyson’s long poem, where feelings of love and sacrifice, but also doubt and fear, are added in an irresistible way. An intimate and intense performance that plunges us ten years before the writing of Elektra, into the beginnings of Strauss’ tragic thought.
 
Artists
Isabella Soupart – actess, Guy Vandromme – piano, Koenraad Tinel – visual artist, Maja Jantar – video artist, Ellie Bryce – technical stage manager
 
Conception & Production – Act 2
 
Coproduction Muziektheater Transparant, Festival Zindering and Festival Talklang – Süd-Tirol
 

 
Thursday, January 20, 2022
6:30PM
Entry CHF 25.– (first drink included)
In the Foyer of the GTG
 
 
Health and Safety Regulations
Following the regulations of the authorities, from Monday, December 20, 2021, according to the “2G” rule, only people with a COVID Certificate related to a vaccination or a recovery will have access to the venue. The certificate will be requested with your ID card on entering the building and masks are mandatory.

Stage design workshop about Elektra
For the staging of Elektra at the Grand Théâtre in January 2022, the director Ulrich Rasche has imagined a monumental and impressive set. And you, if you had to create a set for this opera by Richard Strauss, what would you do? Step into the shoes of a set designer and, with the help of professional set designer Valeria Pacchiani, design your own Elektra.
 
Saturday, January 22, 2022
From 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Foyer of the GTG
Entry CHF 15.00
Workshop open to everyone from 12 years old
 
 
Health and Safety Regulations
Following the regulations of the authorities, from Monday, December 20, 2021, according to the “2G” rule, only people with a COVID Certificate related to a vaccination or a recovery will have access to the venue. The certificate will be requested with your ID card on entering the building and masks are mandatory.

Elektra, ou comment tuer les cauchemars, conférence présentée par Christian Merlin
 
“Connais-tu un remède contre les rêves ?” C’est ce que demande Clytemnestre à sa fille Electre, dans l’adaptation de la tragédie grecque par Strauss et Hofmannsthal, composée à l’époque de la psychanalyse naissante. La réponse risque d’être violente dans cet opéra dont le texte et la musique fouillent l’inconscient sans ménagement.
 
Monday, January 24 at 6:30PM
Théâtre de l’Espérance
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Haven’t you ever wondered what it’s like on the other side, when the curtain falls on a performance? How does all the technical machinery work? What do the stagehands have to do to get things back into working order? Or maybe just bump into one of the stars of the show?
 
So let us raise the curtain on all this for you. With every production, we give our patrons an opportunity to come backstage with us, raise their eyes to the flies and take a good look at what’s behind the sets. It may be dark in the wings but there’s a whole lot going on there! And because it’s a really busy place, we can’t really do this more than once per performance run. You will need to book your visit beforehand, so don’t delay!
A member of the theatre staff who can answer all your questions and show you some of the very impressive features of our opera house takes you backstage for free.
 
After the January 29 performance, A member of the theatre staff who can answer all your questions and show you some of the very impressive features of our opera house takes you backstage for free.
 
The “En coulisse” tour lasts about 20 minutes, starts 15 minutes after the performance, is free of charge on prior reservation with our box office service by email [email protected].