Ercole Amante
Opera de Bastille Paris, 2026
★★★★ 'Netia Jones goes quirky with a capital Q... Jones pulls it off with such humour and panache that she completely won me over' Bachtrack
'Netia Jones has created a glorious production, weaving together both modern and ancient worlds, with sumptuous use of video and physical backdrops' Paris Update
In the 18th century, Venetian composer Antonia Bembo fled her violent husband and sought refuge at the court of Louis XIV, where she received the king’s protection. In France she forged a personal style, composing her opera Ercole Amante in 1707, based on the libretto used by her mentor Francesco Cavalli.
Never before staged in Europe, Ercole Amante is marked by harmonic originality and outstanding vocal virtuosity. This surprisingly modern work, which is now entering the repertoire of the Paris Opera in a production by Netia Jones and conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón, rehabilitates the unjustly forgotten composer and can finally be heard where it was written over 300 years ago. Bembo is the second female composer to be performed at the Paris Opera.
Composed by Antonia Bembo
Libretto by Francesco Buti
Conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón
Director Netia Jones
Design Netia Jones
Lighting Ellen Ruge
Choreographer Maud Le Pladec
Video Design Netia Jones
Associate Video Hayley Egan
Technical Associate Marc Lavallee
Animators Qian Shi and Qian Han
Photography by Bernd Uhlig, Cordula Terml and Hayley Egan