Didon au gré des flots

26th, 30 th July & 1 th, 2 nd August 2011
In the courtyard of the castle, Mosset

In 2011, Opera Mosset will présent a new production of « Didon au gré des flots » featuring 9 musicians, 6 soloists, and the choir of Opéra Mosset. It will be an adaptation of Henry Purcell opéra, Dido and Aeneas.

«Dido arrived in Africa by sea. There she founded Carthage. The Sea, was the Mediterranean sea – Mare Nostrum – and it was this same sea that cast Aeneas, who was fleeing Troy, ashore off the coast of the new city. They each had to cross water to find one another. Did the waves that carried them want to assist their budding romance ? In this legend the Composer Henry Purcell présents us with un passionate opéra.»

Opéra Mosset, the daring gamble of a village . Mosset, a small village high up in the mountains of the Pyrénées Orientales, perseveres in its intention of democratising opera and sharing the pleasures of artistic creation with a wide public. The artistic director, Albert Heijdens, has no qualms about taking the most popular operatic works and popularising them in order to make them accessible to people of all tastes and cultures.

“Mission accomplished” and popular success guaranteed. For height years now, each show has been watched by around 4,000 spectators of all ages and cultural backgrounds, in particular “Orpheus & Orpheus”, “The Magic Flute”, “Don Quixote”, “Tapas y Canto” and “The Barber of Seville”.

An extraordinary human undertaking: throughout the year, more than 100 volunteers of all ages and social backgrounds, and from twenty surrounding villages, come together with a nucleus of professionals to prepare each production in minute detail. The whole village is galvanized into sewing costumes, constructing the scenery, etc. And such enthusiasm is contagious: the fashion and communication departments of the Lycée Maillol in Perpignan, and various cultural associations in the region, actively support Opéra Mosset.
 
A welcoming and tolerant environment: With its inhabitants from 14 different countries, Mosset may be considered as the cradle of a brotherly and co-operative Europe, which has earned it the support of Leader+, a European rural fund.
In melding various styles and genres for the greater pleasure of public and artists alike, Opéra Mosset is becoming, more than ever, the agent for cross-fertilisation of opera in Catalonia.
In 2011 a new team organizer and artistic Works to continue this adventure.

For additional information and booking, see the contact page.