La Caravane du Caire

Royal Opera of Versailles (Palace of Versailles), Royal Opera, Paris, France

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3 PM

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

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If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Important Info

Type: Opera

City: Paris, France

Starts at: 15:00

Acts: 3

Intervals: 1

Duration: 2h 20min

Sung in: French

Titles in: French,English

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

Can I choose my seats?

Overview

Opera-ballet in three acts to a libretto by Étienne Morel de Chédeville, first performed at the Théâtre royal de Fontainebleau in 1783.

New production

Watch out the resurrection of a masterpiece!
La Caravane du Caire was a triumph when it was first performed in 1783 and continued to resonate through the ranks of Napoleon's army with the chorus "La Victoire est à nous! Grétry's colourful piece, with its patriotic accents, is a true hymn to France: in the sands of Egypt, the "brave Frenchman" Saint-Phar tries to free his beloved Zélime from the slave trader who is going to sell her to the Pacha, the true ogre in the fable! Grétry's dazzling music constantly scores in this stylish entertainment! The crazy situations and ballets highlight a sparkling cast, a veritable gallery of characters carried off to a music-hall Orient by the winning duo behind Richard the Lionheart by the same Grétry: Marshall Pynkoski and Hervé Niquet!

An Opéra Royal / Château de Versailles Spectacles, Opéra de Tours coproduction
Created on April 24th 2022 at l’Opéra de Tours
Settings, costumes and accessories made at l’Opéra de Tours
This new production is made possible thanks to the generous support of Aline Foriel-Destezet

History

Premiere of this production: 30 October 1783, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Paris

La caravane du Caire is an opera or opéra-ballet in three acts by André Grétry, set to a libretto by Étienne Morel de Chédeville. Tradition has it that either the libretto was partially written or the idea of it was allegedly suggested by the Count of Provence, who would go down in history as Louis XVIII of France.

Synopsis

Act 1
A caravan is heading to Cairo. Among the travellers are the slave dealer Husca and his slaves Zélime and her husband Saint-Phar. Husca hopes that the beautiful Zélime will fetch a good price on the market. When a band of Arabs attacks the caravan, Saint-Phar offers to help Husca fight them off in return for his freedom. They drive off the Arabs and Husca releases Saint-Phar from slavery but refuses to do the same for Zélime.

Act 2
In his palace in Cairo the Pasha is sunk in gloom. Nevertheless, he is keen to celebrate the heroism of Florestan, a Frenchman who saved his treasure ship during a storm. The Pasha's wife Almaïde tries to cheer up her husband with a dance by the women of the harem. Husca and the chief eunuch Tamorin have another idea for improving the Pasha's mood: he should buy himself a new European slave girl or two. They go to the bazaar where they watch a Frenchwoman playing the harp, an Italian singing a virtuoso aria, a German performing a folk song, and dances from Georgians and Indians. But the Pasha is smitten at the sight of Zélime and buys her for his harem. Saint-Phar vows to rescue her.

Act 3
While waiting for the celebrations, Florestan laments the loss of his son at sea. Osmin tells Almaïde of a plot by a Frenchman to free Zélime from the harem. Eager to get rid of her new rival, she urges Osmin to give him every help necessary. Florestan thanks the Pasha for his hospitable treatment and prepares to depart. When news comes of the attempted abduction of Zélime, Florestan is outraged to hear that the culprit is a Frenchman. However, it turns out that Saint-Phar is Florestan's lost son. The Pasha relents and frees Saint-Phar and Zélime, allowing the family to be reunited.

Venue Info

Royal Opera of Versailles (Palace of Versailles) - Paris
3 Place Léon Gambetta, Versailles

The Royal Opera of Versailles is the main theatre and opera house of the Palace of Versailles. The Royal Opera is one of the greatest works by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Inaugurated in 1770 during the reign of Louis XV, it was at the time the largest concert hall in Europe, and was also a great technical achievement and an impressive feat of decorative refinement. A theatre for monarchic and then republican life, it has hosted celebrations, shows and parliamentary debates.

Designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, it is also known as the Théâtre Gabriel. The interior decoration by Augustin Pajou is constructed almost entirely of wood, painted to resemble marble in a technique known as faux marble. The excellent acoustics of the opera house is at least partly due to its wooden interior.

The house is located at the northern extremity of the north wing of the palace. General public access to the theater is gained through the two-story vestibule. Some parts of the Opéra, such as the King's Loge and the King's Boudoir represent some of the earliest expressions of what would become known as the Louis XVI style.

Lully’s Persée — written in 1682, the year Louis XIV moved into the palace — inaugurated the Opéra on 16 May 1770 in celebration of the marriage of the dauphin — the future Louis XVI — to Marie Antoinette.

The Opéra Royal can serve either as a theater for opera, stage plays, or orchestral events, when it can accommodate an audience of 712 or as a ballroom when the floor of the orchestra level of the auditorium can be raised to the level of the stage. On these occasions, the Opéra can accommodate 1,200.