Antonia Bembo's 'Ercole amante' premieres at Opéra Bastille with Netia Jones's tech-driven staging

The world premiere of Antonia Bembo's opera 'Ercole amante' opened at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, directed by British stage director Netia Jones. The work, composed in 1707 by the Venetian musician who fled to Versailles under Louis XIV's protection, was rediscovered a decade ago by conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón. Jones's production uses 3D and digital imagery from Studio Lightmap to create moving Baroque sets, with lighting by Ellen Ruge and choreography by Maud Le Pladec. The cast includes baritone Andreas Wolf as Hercules, soprano Sandrine Piau as Venus, Ana Vieira Leite as Iole, tenor Alisdair Kent as Hyllus, Julie Fuchs as Juno, and others. García-Alarcón conducts the Ensemble Capella Mediterranea and Chœur de Chambre de Namur. The opera's plot, originally written for Louis XIV's wedding, explores themes of power and non-consent, mirroring Bembo's own escape from an abusive husband.