Lancelot

Five days after the triumphant premiere of Gustave Charpentier’s Louise, the first performance of Lancelot can only seem anachronistic, as much for its medieval subject as for its ambition to keep the flame of grand opéra alive. After seven performances, Lancelot disappeared from the Opéra’s bill, never to be performed again. Today, we can no doubt take a new look at this opera: not to examine whether or not it conforms to the modernity of its time, but simply to experience the forgotten beauties it contains.