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
Foyer of the GTG

Peter Eötvös, le dernier des romantiques, présenté par Christian Merlin
L’avant-garde tenait l’opéra pour un genre mort, figé dans la poussière du musée. Avec le triomphe de Trois Sœurs, en 1998, le compositeur hongrois Peter Eötvös semble avoir montré que le genre pouvait être régénéré, et que la musique classique pouvait être expressive sans renoncer à être moderne. Quel est son secret ? Ce premier succès s’est-il renouvelé dans ses opéras plus récents ?
 
Wednesday, 23 March, 2022
At 6:30PM
At the Théâtre de l’Espérance
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About Sleepless
 
Who is afraid of contemporary music? Taking the opportunity of the premiere of Sleepless, the new opera by the great Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös, we want to give you a taste of the music composed today, if you haven’t already found it! Who better to do this than the young Belgian soprano Sarah Defrise, interpreter of one of the most piquant roles of the opera, The Girl, with her coloraturas composed to measure by the composer? The opportunity with her partner, the pianist Stéphane Ginsburgh, to honor the memory of two other masters of 20th century music: Luciano Berio, whom we will meet again at the end of the season with his Finale composed for Turandot, and György Ligeti, Eötvös’s compatriot with whom we opened our season La Plage in Vernier (Adventures and New Adventures).
 
Sarah Defrise, soprano
Stéphane Ginsburgh, piano
 
Thursday, 24 March, 2022
At 6:30PM
Entrance fee CHF 25 (first drink included)
In the foyer of the GTG

Sleepless public workshop: The profession of the conductor
Peter Eötvös is a major figure in today’s opera, both composer and conductor. But have you ever wondered what a conductor’s job actually consists of? Discover this fascinating profession with Dimitri Soudoplatoff, playing the role of the conductor and of a member of the orchestra thanks to the soundpainting technique.
 
Discover Dimitri’s work on his website : www.dimitrisoudoplatoff.com/
 
Saturday, March 26, 2022
From 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
For all from 12 years old
Foyer of the Grand Théâtre
CHF 15.-

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 March 31 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].

For one night, come and live in the great theater, we’ll take you from the ceiling to the stage, from maze to maze, along the melodies of yesteryear and sweet polyphonies. Come and dream under the lights of the chandeliers and the stars, we will sing you to sleep until the early morning, and then what a wake-up call! And bring your things:

• sleeping bag or other blanket
• mattress more or less soft
• pillow
• flashlight
• toilet bag
• teddy bear
  …

 
Friday, April 1st 2022
From 8pm to 8am
Entrance CHF 40.–
CHF 20.– (under 16 years old)
Breakfast and small snack included
At the GTG