(Credit: Eric Layarradieu)

Opéra Royal de Versailles has announced a Cycle Molière that will be dedicated to 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean-Baptiste Molière.

Molière was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world literature. His extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more.

For the purpose of this article we will focus on the vocal works only.

Caroline Weynants, Caroline Bardot, Eugénie Lefebvre, Blandine de Sansal, Clément Debieuvre, Vojtech Semerad, and Etienne Bazola perform various works by Marc-Antoine Charpentier and Molière. Sébastien Daucé conducts the Ensemble Correspondances.

Performance date: Jan. 13, 2022, Opéra Royal

Ana Quintans, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Igor Bouin, and Virgile Ancely present works by Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Vincent Dumestre conducts Le Poème Harmonique.

Performance date: Jan. 14, 2022, Opéra Royal

Next up is a concert performance of Jean-Baptiste Lully’s opera “Psyché.” The libretto by Thomas Corneille was adapted from Molière’s original play. The opera will star Déborah Cachet as Aglaure, Bénédicte Tauran as Vénus, Eugénie Lefebvre as Flore and Cidippe, Cyril Auvity in the role of Amour, Robert Getchell as Mercure, Vertumne, and Vulcain, Nicholas Scott as Apollon, Fabien Hyon as Palémon, Silène, and Bacchus, Philippe Estèphe in the role of Jupiter, Anas Séguin as Lycas and Momus, Matthieu Heim as Mars, and Ambroisine Bré in the title role. Christophe Rousset conducts Les Talens Lyriques.

Performance date: Jan. 30, 2022, 3 p.m. CET, Opéra Royal

Tenor Romain Champion, soprano Cécile Granger, baritone Marc Labonnette, and tenor Francisco Mañalich will perform Molière’s Comédie-ballet “Le Bourgeois gentilhomme” alongside Les solistes de l’Ensemble La Révérence. Christophe Coin conducts a production by Éric Ruf.

Performance dates: June 9 – 19, 2022, Opéra Royal

The event “Molière et ses musique” will see sopranos Emmanuelle de Negri and Claire Debono, tenors Zachary Wilder and Cyril Auvity, and bass Cyril Costanzo performing excerpts from “Le Malade imaginaire,” “Le Bourgeois gentilhomme,” “L’Amour médecin,” “Le Mariage forcé,” and “George Dandin.” William Christie conducts Les Arts Florissants.

Performance dates: June 25 – 26, 2022, Opéra Royal