A Grand History of Opera
Infos & Cast
About
Infos & Cast
A Grand History of Opera (or An Illuminated History of the Total Art Form)
A play written by Louis Geisler
Based on an original idea by Jérémie Lebreton
A production of the Grand Théâtre de Genève
November 2026
November 7 2026 – 3PM
December 1 & 4 2026 – 7PM
At the Institut Florimont
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December 5 & 6 2026 – 3PM
At the Conservatoire de Genève
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Sung and spoken in French
Duration: 1h
Recommended for ages 10 and up
CAST
Stage Director Jérémie Lebreton
Set Designer Christian Bovey
Musical Dramaturgy Louis Geisler
La Prima Donna Lysa Menu
The Professor Oduris Joël Terrin
The Pianist Arthur Noël
Music Excerpts from opera arias by Vincenzo Bellini, Francesco Cavalli, Gaetano Donizetti, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Georg Friedrich Haendel, Claudio Monteverdi, Jules Massenet, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jacques Offenbach, Giacomo Puccini, Henry Purcell, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Gioachino Rossini, Richard Strauss, Giuseppe Verdi et Richard Wagner
Sponsored by
MONA HAMILTON
About
Learned specialist Professor Oduris rises to the ultimate challenge: summarizing four centuries of opera in 60 minutes. Speaking as a guest lecturer at the temporary venue which houses the Grand Théâtre de Genève’s music library, his talk is abruptly interrupted by the sensational appearance of a prima donna, emerging with her pianist from a stack of sheet music. Showing little concern for chronological timelines, she takes the Professor on a journey through time.
In opera, should the music come before the words, or is it the other way round? This question, debated by composers for centuries, is at the heart of Louis Geisler’s play, directed by Jérémie Lebreton. In a series of fast-paced sketches moving between comedy, drama and poetry, the characters revisit some key moments in the history of opera, in a dialogue of words and music by the great masters of the art of opera.
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Credits
Illustration © GTG / Ronald Curchod