Jessye Norman as Cassandra in Les Troyens

The 15th Metropolitan Opera Performance of Hector Berllioz Les Troyens
Conductor James Levine, Staged by Fabrizio Melano
Several of the Trojan women are praying at the altar of Vesta/Cybele for their soldiers to receive divine aid. Cassandre reports that Énée and other Trojan warriors have rescued Priam's palace treasure and relieved people at the citadel. She prophesies that Énée and the survivors will found a new Troy in Italy. But she says also that Chorèbe is dead, and resolves to die. The other women acknowledge that Cassandre was correct in her prophecies and their error in dismissing her. Cassandre then calls upon the Trojan women to join her in death, to prevent being defiled by the invading Greeks. One group of women admits to fear of death, and Cassandre dismisses them from her sight. The remaining women unite with Cassandre in their determination to die. A Greek captain observes the women during this scene, with admiration for their courage. Greek soldiers then come on the scene, demanding the Trojan treasure from the women. Cassandre defiantly mocks the soldiers, then suddenly stabs herself. Polyxène takes the same dagger and does likewise. The remaining women scorn the Greeks as being too late to find the treasure, and commit mass suicide, to the horror of the Greek soldiers. Cassandre summons one last cry of "Italy!" before she collapses, dead.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jessye
• Norman
• Cassandra
• Hector
• Berllioz
• Les
• Troyens
• Metropolitan
• Opera
• Met
• James
• Levine
• Fabrizio
• Melano

[77Opera]

Grâce à l'extraordinaire prestation d'un grand J.Levine, d'une sublime J.Norman, d'une envoûtante et majestueuse T.Troyanos, d'un superbe P.Domingo, d'un A.Monk enchanteur et tant d'autres merveilleux artistes, Hector Berlioz n'aura plus jamais à dire:"Ah ma noble Cassandre, ma vierge héroïque, je dois me résigner à ne jamais t'entendre!" Magnifique cadeau de la part de la Met. Plus bel hommage ne pouvait-être rendu à l'oeuvre ou Virgile et Shakespeare se côtoient. Merci ruizdechavez

[ruizdechavez]

Merci pour votre comment. Pour les merveilleux mots : :"Ah ma noble Cassandre, ma vierge héroïque, je dois me résigner à ne jamais t'entendre!"

[newhotmailit]

what an emotion!!! great performance! i love the intensity of acting, the thousend colours of her voice. stunning!!!

[ruizdechavez]

Agree... Thanks for your comment

[godivapaw]

So many pigtails!

[reviewsvoiceontube]

Jessye Norman is not just one of the most gifted singers with one of the greatest and most beautiful voices ever- but she has all the qualities to make a performance both convincing and memorable. Magnificent.

[godivapaw]

Look at all those PIGTAILS!!!!

[55werther]

¡¡¡LA MAGNIFICA; LA INCOMPARABLE NORMAN!!! EN UNA DE SUS MAS GRAN-

DIOSAS INTERPRETACIONES. ¡¡¡QUE CANTANTE Y QUE ARTISTA DE UNA

PERSONALIDAD MAGNIFICAS!!!

[Babs22h]

this is admittedly trivial but who is her makeup artist for this production? they gave her so little rouge or color on her skin!!! which is ridiculous considering she is a MAJOR character in Les Troyons and certainly a standout in this section!!!

Her makeup was so much better for ariadne auf naxos! perhaps Jessye was able to demand better by that time (though she was an established star by the airing of this opera so i dont get it) someone should be making sure she looks as fantastic as sounds!

[georgerannie]

Jessye simply blows all off the stage--she was amazing!!

[bcom11]

haha yeah! go jessye!!

[godivapaw]

A very powerful performance!