"La Juive" (Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre)

Jacques Fromental Halévy

LA JUIVE

opera in two parts, sung in French with Lithuanian surtitles
Litbretto by Eugene Scribe

Conductor Martynas Staškus
Director and Set Designer Günter Krämer (Germany)
Costume Designer Isabel Ines Glathar (Germany)
Chorus Master Česlovas Radžiūnas

Premiere at the LNOBT: 15 October 2004

"La juive" (occasionally called The Cardinal's Daughter) by Jacques Fromental Halévy, which earned the composer instant renown in 19th-century Europe and perpetuated his name in the operatic world, reappears on the Lithuanian opera stage. "La juive" had its first Lithuanian production in 1927 and remained on active repertoire up to 1940. Undeservedly banished from European stages in the aftermath of the Second World War, in recent years it has been restored to life along with the great masterpieces of the19th-century French opera such as Gounod's "Faust", Bizet's "Carmen" and others and has captivated the audiences ever since with its fabulous melodies, sumptuous staging and the universal themes of love and hatred, hope and desperation.

"La juive" had its world premiere on 23 February 1835 at Paris Opéra, instantly making Halévy's name known all over musical Europe. Although Halévy wrote an impressive array of stage works (including 36 operas), none of them equalled the success of La juive. It was the grandest spectacle of all 19th-century grand operas offered at Paris Opéra, with massed choral and classical ballet scenes, a breathtaking procession in Act 1, ravishing festivities of Act 3, and a tragic climax in Act 5. Today the opera is usually performed with cuts, retaining all the magnitude through an enormous cast employed and august massed scenes, if not through its formidable duration.

The eminent director Günter Krämer works out every single detail to exhaustion in his version of La juive. Costumes and properties are designed in keeping with historical and ethnic traditions; thus you will not only see genuine Jewish felt hats and veils, tefillin and menorah, but also genuine silver and genuine passions.

Running time: 3.30 hours