In twenty years of existence, the Nights of Sanxay were able to get a place in the universe of festivals. Benefiting from a out of the ordinary – a gallo-roman site exceptionally well-preserved -, the event also came to fill a void in a region, where lovers of opera are too much spoiled. To celebrate this anniversary, Sanxay will host three performances of ’Aida , an opera commissioned to Giuseppe Verdi for the opening of the Suez canal by the khedive Ismail Pasha. Premiered in Cairo on 24 December 1871, the work remains one of the most popular and played in the world.

For a successful opera, it still remains a beautiful story. Based on a libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni and based on a plot made up by the egyptologist Auguste-Édouard Mariette, Aida narrates the loves frustrated between Radamès, an officer of the guard, an egyptian, and Aida, a slave of ethiopian. Its owner, the princess Amneris, she is also in love with the young man, will soon let explode his jealousy while the armed conflict between their two peoples going to end up compromising the romance.

The gallo-roman site of Sanxay hosts Evenings of opera in the last twenty years. Soirées lyriques de Sanxay

Often played in sets of the pharaohs – and even in front of the pyramids of Giza in 1987 -, Aida should find in the magnificent ancient site of Sanxay a green choice. The work of Verdi has been already played in 2009 in front of nearly 10,000 people.

This is the same choreographer who will work on this new version: Laurence Fanon, former principal dancer of the Paris Opera. The young Italian conductor Valerio Galli conducts the symphony orchestra, while Jean-Christophe Mast is entrusted with the staging. On the side of the soloists, Sanxay has especially invited Elena Guseva for the title role. Russian soprano knows his Aida on the tip of your fingers ; it had interpreted it in June at the Vienna state Opera. The baritone Vitaliy Bilyy will play him, the king of Ethiopia, Amonasro, a role he also embodies the Verona Arena throughout the month of August.

more than 250 volunteers for the costumes and sets

Launched in 2000, the Soirées lyriques can boast of providing the public poitevin experience the opera at a reduced price (19 euros to sit on the grass to 87 euros for the orchestra in the centre, three to four times less expensive than the prices charged in other festivals in france). In this village of 600 souls, the festival will be based in large part on the work of 250 volunteers, who are solicited as well for the costumes for the implementation of the decorations.

For the full experience, the festival also offers its spectators a visit to the remains of the gallo-roman site which, in addition to the amphitheatre – grand of 6500 places in the Ancient world – is also a temple and a spa complex spread over 19 hectares. Guided tours are even organized by the Centre of national monuments, and offered at a reduced price to festival goers. Of history, great music and some of the stars: a beautiful evening in perspective.

Aida Nights lyric of Sanxay, the 10, 12 and 14 August 2019 21: 30. 4, route de Poitiers 86600, Sanxay. From 19 euros. Reservations: +33 (0)5 49 44 95 38 or www.operasanxay.fr