Various - Offenbach:La Belle Helene

Jacques Offenbach's La Belle H�l�ne has always been one of its composer's most successful works. Its first performance in Paris was quickly followed by productions in Vienna, Berlin, London, Milan and New York. A satire of middle-class values, this op�ra bouffe pillories narrow-mindedness in society. Adopting a pro-active stance, director Renaud Doucet and designer Andr� Barbe treat the piece as a great show with numerous choreographic elements, relocating the action of Offenbach's classical spoof and setting it on a cruise ship in the 1960s, when Flower Power, love and drugs were all the rage. La Belle H�l�ne is a firework display for ears and eyes (Hamburger Morgenpost), opulent and amusing (Bild), and in the title role Jennifer Larmore convinces with her fantastic vocal performance (Das Opernglas).