MIREILLE

For his twelve-canto epic poem Mirèio, into which he poured the full measure of his poetic talent and his passion for his native Provence, Frédéric Mistral was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature. Through his Franco-Provençal writing, the impossible love between Mireille, the daughter of wealthy farmers, and Vincent, the son of a poor basket-maker, unfolds as a Shakespearean drama beneath the southern sun. Captivated by the narrative, Charles Gounod traveled to the region and composed on the spot where the Mediterranean landscape inspired him to create a radiant and moving adaptation. His opera Mireille, which premiered at the Théâtre-Lyrique de Paris in 1864, shimmers through its luminous orchestration evoking sparkling landscapes brimming with warmth and passion.

While this surprising lyrical romance is set under the sacred patronage of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, it is also infused with dark romanticism in the “Valley of Hell” scene: specters surge from the Rhône and plunge the jealous Ourrias into its depths. Nonetheless the opera’s charm lies above all in its endearing heroine, much like the Marguerites and Juliettes we also owe to Gounod, along with the beauty of the arias imbued with the composer’s cherished true feelings and the delightful Occitan local color that he so skillfully translated into music.

For his third season opener (William Tell, Don Quixote), Bruno Ravella will present his poignant interpretation of this work inspired by this Provençal heritage. The Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne will be conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, a leading expert in 19^th-century French music, whose work audiences were able to enjoy in Carmen, staged in May 2025.