Berlioz: Les Troyens

This opera, based on Virgil's Aeneid, chronicles the tragic love story between the Trojan princess Cassandra and the captured Carthaginian queen Dido, set against the backdrop of the fall of Troy and the subsequent founding of Carthage. It explores themes of duty, fate, betrayal, and the devastating consequences of war and passion.

The 2017 production of Berlioz's 'Les Troyens' by Dmitri Tcherniakov received a mix of strong praise and significant criticism. While many lauded the conductor and the principal singers for their powerful performances and the sheer ambition of staging such a monumental work, Tcherniakov's directorial concept, which relocated the action to a modern military setting, proved divisive, with some finding it insightful and others seeing it as a distraction from the opera's original intent.

• Praised for its musical grandeur and strong vocal performances, particularly from the leads.

• Director Dmitri Tcherniakov's modern, militaristic interpretation sparked debate, dividing critics.

• The sheer scale and ambition of the production were widely acknowledged, even by detractors.

Google audience: Audience reception was varied, with many appreciating the musical brilliance and powerful vocal contributions of the cast. However, the modern, stark directorial choices were a point of contention for some, leading to discussions about fidelity to the original work versus innovative interpretation.

The opera 'Les Troyens' is considered Berlioz's magnum opus and is one of the longest and most ambitious operas in the standard repertoire, often staged in two parts or a very condensed single performance due to its immense length.