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

About Maria Stuarda
On arias by Donizetti and Rossini, the mezzo-soprano Ena Pongrac and the tenor Omar Mancini, accompanied on the piano by Réginald Le Reun, take you on a journey to explore bel canto. An appetizer for the Christmas season before the opera Maria Stuarda.
 
Thursday, December 8, 2022
At 6:30 pm
CHF 25.– (first drink included)
Avant-foyer of the GTG

MARIA STUARDA : De l’arrogance de la reine, au martyre de la femme
Une conférence présentée par Sandro Cometta
En 1834, quatre années après le succès d’Anna Bolena, Donizetti reprend le fil rouge-sang des reines anglo-saxonnes. Cette fois Schiller sera son guide et sa source d’inspiration. Mais comment réduire un drame aussi dense et politiquement engagé en un mélodrame italien ?
La rivalité entre deux reines et la dénonciation des rouages pervers du pouvoir absolu sont-ils les seuls enjeux de la pièce ? Et que faire d’un drame dépourvu d’action ?
Les réponses à ces questions Donizetti les confie à la musique et à son pouvoir émotionnel. S’appuyant sur un texte parfois audacieux et direct, sa Maria Stuarda est une œuvre courageuse, qui oscille entre des moments magiques de douceur et d’intimité et des élans d’une grande violence dramatique.
 
Une conférence présentée par Sandro Cometta en collaboration avec l’Association genevoise des amis de l’opéra et du ballet.
 
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
At 6:30PM
Théâtre de l’Espérance
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The Grand Théâtre de Genève, in collaboration with the European Academy of Music Theatre and the HEM-Geneva, is hosting a day-long conference for lovers of belcanto, “Fascination belcanto today”, ahead of the premiere of its new production Maria Stuarda.
 
«Fascination belcanto today»
Friday, December 16, 2022
HEM-Genève from 9AM to 12:30PM
Grand Théâtre de Genève from 2PM to 5:30PM
Free entrance
 
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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 December 23 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].