
The ''Chorégies d'Orange'' is a summer
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
festival held each August in
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
* Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum ...
located about 21 kilometres north of
Avignon
Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune ha ...
in southern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
. Performances are presented in the ancient
Roman theatre
Roman theatres derive from and are part of the overall evolution of earlier Greek theatres. Indeed, much of the architectural influence the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design was no different from other buildings. However ...
, the
Théâtre Antique d'Orange, the original stage wall of which has remained intact, creating a semi-circular auditorium which seats 9,000.
A festival began in Orange in 1860 and was held periodically, but it was only after the Roman theatre was restored in 1869 that it became the location of a popular “Roman Festival” which celebrated the glory of Rome and included a performance of
Méhul’s opera, ''
Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...
''. All the major players of the French classical stage appeared in the Orange festivals, including
Sarah Bernhardt who played “Phèdre” in 1903.
In 1902, the festival was given a new name, the “Chorégies,” and it was planned to take place annually. The name comes from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
χορηγός ''khorêgós'' "choir leader." Until 1969, the Chorégies consisted of plays, alternating with musical works, opera and symphonies. However, after that date, Orange became solely an opera festival and theatrical works were performed at
Avignon
Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune ha ...
.
In 1971, the “New Chorégies” began, with a format not unlike the present one where only about six performances are given during the month-long festival, typically two performances of two operas along with a recital or concert. It quickly became an international success with many major international singers appearing.
See also
*
List of opera festivals
External links
Festival website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Choregies d'Orange
Opera festivals
Tourist attractions in Vaucluse
Music festivals in France
Orange, Vaucluse