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Items filtered by date: November 2018

Thursday, 29 November 2018 01:08

Praise for Cirey and Émilie

Working with Nicholas Gentile on our plans for Émilie & Voltaire (the title of the new opera, previously called The Propagation of Fire), to my delight I came across four lines by Voltaire about Cirey and Émilie that I've translated for you below.

Un voyageur qui ne mentit jamais
Passe à Cirey, l’admire, le contemple;
Il croit d’abord que ce n’est qu’un palais;
Mais il voit Émilie: ‘Ah, dit-il, c’est un temple.’

A traveller, precise about the best or worst,
Visits Cirey, contemplates it, calls it fine;
It seems just a palace, or so he thinks at first;
But he sees Émilie and says, ‘Ah, it’s a shrine.’

Published in Blog

Take the opportunity HERE to tune in to the interview with composer Nicholas Gentile, whose new opera explores the amazing achievements of Émilie du Châtelet and her momentous relationship with Voltaire.

Published in Blog