The Montpellier National Opera Choir unveils its full virtuosity in a repertoire that is dear to its heart. Under the direction of Noëlle Gény, it will perform, for the greatest pleasure of all, an anthology of great choral pieces from the most beautiful operas… A beautiful musical interlude!

Great pages of opera

Vignette Theater

Among them, parallel trajectories echo each other with poignant force. Korngold and Schoenberg, two major figures in Viennese music, had to flee Nazism. The former found refuge in Hollywood where he revolutionized film music; the latter reconstructed his musical language in the United States. Their works bear the scars of this uprooting, between nostalgia and audacity. Pablo Casals and Roberto Gerhard, Spanish exiles, embody resistance through music. Casals, an opponent of Franco, transformed El cant dels ocells into a hymn of freedom. Gerhard, a disciple of Schoenberg, blended avant-garde and Catalan folklore in a unique style, shaped by his exile in England. Arvo Pärt, Olga Podgaiskaya, and Samir Odeh-Tamimi extend this reflection on wandering and creation. Pärt, forced to leave Soviet Estonia, found refuge in timeless music. Podgaiskaya and Odeh-Tamimi, heirs to these journeys, in turn question boundaries and shifting identities. An evening resonating with the echoes of a torn 20th century and the persistence of a beauty born of absence. A world concert where each note echoes a lost land, but also the hope of a new beginning.

Exiles #2

Opéra Comédie

Fancy a coffee break like no other? The artists of the National Opera Choir and their choirmaster Noëlle Gény offer you a musical (and gourmet!) break during your day. Join us at 2:30 p.m. for a coffee before the concert!

Coffee Break #2

Pure joy! This is the musical program Mozart set for himself in his so-called "Coronation Mass," written in March 1779. In reality, it resounded in Salzburg Cathedral for Easter that same year, and it was only after the composer's death that it became the essential accompaniment for the weddings of crowned heads. The graceful vocal quartet clearly alternates with jubilant, swift choirs, the two concertante oboes adding a festive touch to the ensemble.

Coronation Mass

With Falstaff , his final opera, Verdi created a dazzling comedy, punctuated by incisive dialogue and sparkling music. In this burlesque farce, the pot-bellied, boastful knight believes he can seduce with impunity, but he comes up against the intelligence and solidarity of women. David Hermann turns it into a biting satire of toxic masculinity, where intrigues, disguises, and misunderstandings follow one another in an effervescent production that is somewhere between burlesque and social critique. Carried by the alert direction of Michael Schønwandt—returning, to our great delight, at the helm of the Orchestre de Montpellier—Verdi's teeming score unleashes its jubilant energy: whirling ensembles, bouncy rhythms, and a dizzying final fugue that reminds us, with Falstaff , that "everything in the world is a farce"!

Falstaff

Coffee Break #1

Considered too realistic at its premiere in 1853, La Traviata remains one of the essential operas in the lyric repertoire. At the end of the first act, Violetta proclaims sempre libera (always free): is this a feminist plea ahead of its time or a tragic illusion? From the ballroom to the confines of the sanatorium, Verdi infuses his masterpiece with ardent music, sometimes breathless, but constantly seeking to free itself from conventions to achieve authentic beauty. Silvia Paoli, one of the great directors of our time, dares a powerful and virtuoso dramaturgical gesture, in total osmosis with the direction of Roderick Cox who brings this iconic score to incandescence, ideally served by the solar soprano of Ruzan Mantashyan and the very remarkable tenor Omer Kobiljak.

La Traviata

The Opera Orchestra's Midis Musicales are always a great success with audiences. These short concerts (from 45 minutes to 1 hour) are presented in a warm and friendly atmosphere and will surprise you with the richness of the offerings!

Midi Musical | Montpellier Occitanie National Opera Choir

The Montpellier National Opera Choir, conducted by Noëlle Gény, reveals all its virtuosity in a repertoire that is dear to its heart. An exceptional concert where the voices will resonate in all their splendor; don't miss this unforgettable encounter with music and emotion!

Montpellier Occitanie National Opera Choir

Agora Le Crès

A devilish seducer defying both God and society, Don Giovanni has become the symbol of the libertine with a formidable life force for some, and a profane and mendacious cynicism for others. The powerful man combines all the flaws and has fascinated artists and audiences since his creation by Tirso de Molina and Molière, closely followed, in Prague in 1787, by Mozart and da Ponte. The two creators fixed the myth and offered lyric art its first hero transcending the ages. In the staging, Agnès Jaoui achieves a rare balance between comedy and drama, multiplying the expressive power of the work and bringing a renewed vision of the characters. A sparkling ensemble of soloists praises this new co-production bringing together no fewer than three French opera houses. A production not to be missed under any circumstances!

Don Giovanni

Opéra Berlioz

Brahms was not a symphonist like the others. Throughout his life, he wrote magnificent choral music, rediscovering Schütz and Bach, to whom, like Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Schumann, he felt a deep connection. Long before writing his First Symphony , his experience with the choir brought him gravity and jubilation, all human feelings contained in the seven movements of A German Requiem , three of which—the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th—are fugues reminiscent of Handel. After reaching the great German cities gripped by the fever of choral singing, this requiem of hope was heard in April 1873 in the British capital. Having become a pillar of the choral repertoire, it promises divine clemency. The two arias sung by baritone Stéphane Degout contribute powerfully to this spiritual happiness that he proclaims with faith.

A German Requiem

Verdi's Four Sacred Pieces represent the composer's spiritual testament and achieve unprecedented dramatic power – from the poignant lyricism of the Ave Maria to the monumentality of the Te Deum . They will be performed by the Chorus of the Montpellier National Opera, prepared by Noëlle Gény. In counterpoint, Schubert's Symphony No. 5 , composed at the age of 19 in the euphoria of his discovery of Mozart, embodies a vibrant homage to Viennese classicism. Under the sensitive direction of Italian conductor Clelia Cafiero, the strings dialogue with Mozartian transparency, while the woodwinds bring a pastoral hue to this youthful work that adopts romantic harmonic colors. Between fervor and light, an evening where the sacred is by turns intimate and grandiose.

Noëlle Gény

Events

Upcoming events

1 - 12 Apr, 2026

La Traviata · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Apr 15, 2026

Midi Musical | Montpellier Occitanie National Opera Choir · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Apr 26, 2026

Montpellier Occitanie National Opera Choir · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

24 - 31 May, 2026

Don Giovanni · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Jun 5, 2026

A German Requiem · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Past events

Mar 12, 2026

Great pages of opera · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Feb 7, 2026

Exiles #2 · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

About

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