Messager : Fortunio

Surrender to the charm and wit of Fortunio, André Messager’s masterpiece that revives the French comédie lyrique in all its splendor, with radiant vocal performances and a beautifully evocative production.

First premiered in 1907 at the Opéra Comique, Fortunio captures a bygone era with unmatched musical and dramatic finesse. Messager, a key figure in opera and operetta, infuses this work with the grace and elegance of the Belle Époque, featuring a light and sparkling orchestration that is quintessentially French. Based on Alfred de Musset‘s Le Chandelier, Fortunio explores the romantic entanglements and miscommunications of 19th-century bourgeois society in a tender comedy where every gesture, every emotion is subtly magnified through music.

Cyrille Dubois portrays the shy but lovestruck Fortunio, infatuated with Jacqueline, played by Anne-Catherine Gillet, the young wife of Maître André, brought to life by Franck Leguérinel. This notary’s carefree attitude opens the door to a series of seductive ploys, led by the charming officer Clavaroche, portrayed by Jean-Sébastien Bou. This tangled web of love and desire is expertly staged by Denis Podalydès, whose refined and contemporary vision breathes new life into this delightful comedy.

Éric Ruf‘s elegant sets and Christian Lacroix’s sumptuous costumes create a visually stunning backdrop, true to the spirit of the Belle Époque, while Stéphanie Daniel’s lighting design beautifully captures the emotional subtleties of the characters. Under the baton of Louis Langrée, the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées brings out the delicate intricacies of Messager’s score, supported by the rich, vibrant voices of the Les Éléments chorus, led by Joël Suhubiette.

With this production, Fortunio reclaims its rightful place as one of the great comédies lyriques, a work that marries lightness, sophistication, and disarming tenderness.