The Paris Opera is now presenting a new production of Ercole amante by composer Antonia Bembo at the Opéra Bastille through June 14, 2026, marking the first staged European production of the opera and its debut in the company's repertoire.
Running approximately three and a half hours with one intermission, the five-act opera was composed in 1707 by Bembo, a Venetian composer whose remarkable life story informs the work's modern resonance. After fleeing an abusive marriage, Bembo found refuge at the court of King Louis XIV, where she developed a distinctive musical voice that blended Italian and French influences. Ercole amante is based on a libretto by Francesco Buti that had previously been set by her teacher, Francesco Cavalli.
Eight years after his acclaimed Paris Opera debut with Les Indes galantes, conductor Leonardo García Alarcón returns to lead the production. The staging is conceived by director and designer Netia Jones, who also provides the sets, costumes, and video design.
Jones's production examines the opera's mythological world of gods and supernatural beings while highlighting themes that remain strikingly relevant today. At the center of the story is Hercules, a powerful but aging hero whose inability to accept a woman's refusal drives the drama forward.
The cast is led by bass-baritone Andreas Wolf as Ercole, alongside soprano Julie Fuchs as Giunone and Ana Vieira Leite as Iole. They are joined by Deepa Johnny as Dejanira, Marcel Beekman as Licco, Alasdair Kent as Hyllo, and Sandrine Piau in the dual role of Venere and Bellezza.
Additional members of the creative team include lighting designer Ellen Ruge, dramaturg Fabián Schofrin, choreographer Maud Le Pladec, and chorus master Thibaut Lenaerts.
Performed in Italian with French and English surtitles, Ercole amante will be presented at the Opéra Bastille with tickets ranging from €15 to €175. The production offers audiences a rare opportunity to discover a long-overlooked Baroque masterpiece by one of the few female composers of the era whose work is now receiving renewed international attention.
