One of the highlights of the 2022 season of Les Arts Florissants, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Jardin des Voix Academy and the 40th anniversary of the festival

At the court of Partenope, Queen of Naples, there is no lack of suitors to win the heart of the sovereign: Arsace, Prince of Corinth, seems to have won her favours, while the Prince of Rhodes, Armindo, is in despair. But that doesn’t take into account the inopportune arrival of Emilio, King of Cumae, who sets out to conquer the beauty with arms at the ready. While Partenope seeks advice from Captain Ormonte, the climate of tension intensifies with the presence of a certain Eurimene … who is none other than Princess Rosmira, a lover abandoned by Arsace who has come to seek revenge under this disguise. When the latter challenges her to a duel and asks her, to confuse her, to fight bare-chested, the time comes to drop the masks… This is the very first time that Les Arts Florissants have presented Partenope – the first “comic” opera by Handel, by which the composer stepped outside the rules of opera seria. Conducted by William Christie and staged by Sophie Daneman, this new production invites you to rediscover this forgotten masterpiece … as well as hear six exceptional voices: those of the six winners of the tenth edition of the Jardin des Voix, the famous academy for young singers from Les Arts Florissants.