Les mamelles de Tirésias

About the Event

Les mamelles de Tirésias is an opéra bouffe by the great 20th century French composer Francis Poulenc. It was premiered in 1947 at the Opéra‐Comique in Paris amid great acclaim, mingled with some disapproval.

The libretto was written by Poulenc himself after a drame surréaliste by Guillaume Apollinaire – his favourite poet – first performed in 1917. The message proclaimed in the prologue is that France is in desperate need of more children (the play was produced during the First World War and the opera just after the Second).

The setting for this highly inventive opera is a town named Zanzibar and the absurd, fast‐moving plot consists of a series of scenes enacted by characters on the verge of lunacy. On the first night, the leading role, Thérèse/La Cartomancienne, which calls for considerable virtuosity, was taken by the great Denise Duval,  who also sang at the premieres of Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites and La voix humaine. The chorus also plays a vital part in the action and reveals the clear influence of Stravinsky.

Experience this remarkable work in the brilliant atmosphere of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona!

Music director: Josep Vicent

Stage director: Emilio Sagi

Stage design: Ricardo Sánchez Cuerda

Costumes: Gabriela Salaberri

Lighting: Eduardo Bravo

Choreography: Diniz Sánchez

New coproduction:
Gran Teatre del Liceu /Teatro Arriaga (Bilbao)  María Bayo, David Menéndez, Mikeldi Atxalandabaso, Troy Cook, Itxaro Mentxaka and others. (27 and 29 May 2010)

Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Cor Madrigal

In some areas of the Gran Teatre del Liceu it is possible to be seated with a partially obstructed view of the stage. The Gran Teatre del Liceu recommends Zone 2 for the finest and completely unobstructed view of the performance. The stage is not visable from seats starting in row 2 of Zone 8.  A monitor is provided for following the performance in this section. Only available for operas.