New Version of 'Ghosts of Versailles' Debuts in St. Louis

A new, reduced orchestral version of Distinguished Professor John Corigliano’s critically acclaimed opera, The Ghosts of Versailles, has just opened at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. The production made its debut on June 17 and will continue on June 19, 21, 23, 25, and 27.

An opera in two acts, Ghosts of Versailles is a reimagination of the French Revolution—one where Marie Antoinette is saved from the guillotine by the playwright Beaumarchais. The opera made its original debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1991, with great success. Professor Corigliano collaborated with long-time friend Professor William H. Hoffman (Journalism, Communication, and Theatre), who wrote the libretto for the opera.

In a quote to the online publication "Schirmer News," Professor Corigliano says he and Professor Hoffman "always felt that the opera would benefit from being seen through a closer lens…that is, while Ghosts is, in part, an entertaining buffa, it is also a serious meditation on history and change: specifically on how change comes about both in politics and in Art."

Co-produced with Wexford Opera Festival and Vancouver Opera, this new production is directed by James Robinson, artistic director of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and conducted by Michael Christie.

Three clips of the original version of the opera are available here.