Royal Opera of Versailles (Palace of Versailles) tickets 14 July 2025 - Vivaldi and Guido: Les Quatre Saisons | GoComGo.com

Vivaldi and Guido: Les Quatre Saisons

Royal Opera of Versailles (Palace of Versailles), Royal Opera, Paris, France
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You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Important Info
Type: Classical Concert
City: Paris, France
Starts at: 20:00
Duration: 1h 10min

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Cast
Performers
Orchestra: Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal
Conductor: Stefan Plewniak
Violin: Stefan Plewniak
Creators
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
Composer: Giovanni Guido
Programme
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni)
Giovanni Guido: The Four Seasons
Overview

The publication of Guido's Seasons in Versailles does not bear a date, but is thought to date from the period 1725-1733. In any case, Guido's Seasons are contemporary with Vivaldi's famous Seasons, perhaps a little earlier. So, who inspired whom?

What if the Antonio Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons (1678-1741), published in Amsterdam in 1725 and performed in Paris at the Concert Spirituel in 1728, had been preceded by those of Giovanni Antonio Guido (1675-1729), star violinist of Parisian orchestras of the maturity of Louis XIV, and Master of Music of the Regent Philippe D'Orléans, published in Versailles? The two works are finally presented in the same programme in spite of their differences: the well-known virtuosity of Vivaldi's work contrasts with the mixture of French good taste and Italian features of Guido's Seasons; before the very descriptive poem illustrated by Vivaldi's music with remarkable naturalism, Guido paid homage to each season, with a display of affects worthy of the French court.

To a great extent, Guido remains a mysterious musician, due to a lack of archives. Born around 1675, he was listed among the violin students of the Conservatorio della Pietà dei Turchini, in Naples, then among the musicians of the Royal Chapel, until 1702. He left for Paris and entered the service of Duke Philippe d'Orléans, future Regent of France and a great music lover, and became his Master of Music. He met Morin, Gervais and Forqueray, and contributed to introducting Italian music in France. He also entered the circle of the financier Pierre Crozat and gave concerts at his residence where Watteau and the banker Law were also visitors. Between 1713 and 1716, Crozat decided to redecorate his dining room and asked Watteau to paint four paintings on the theme of the seasons. It was probably to pay homage to this admirable new ensemble that Guido composed around 1717 his "Scherzi armonici sopra le Quattro stagioni dell'anno", based on four anonymous poems: Les Caractères des Saisons. Each of these "musical entertainments" had about ten movements, and even if it is called a concerto, it also resembles a French suite: the music is a clever mixture of Italian and French.

Venue Info

Royal Opera of Versailles (Palace of Versailles) - Paris
Location   3 Place Léon Gambetta, Versailles

The Royal Opera of Versailles is the main theatre and opera house of the Palace of Versailles. The Royal Opera is one of the greatest works by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Inaugurated in 1770 during the reign of Louis XV, it was at the time the largest concert hall in Europe, and was also a great technical achievement and an impressive feat of decorative refinement. A theatre for monarchic and then republican life, it has hosted celebrations, shows and parliamentary debates.

Designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, it is also known as the Théâtre Gabriel. The interior decoration by Augustin Pajou is constructed almost entirely of wood, painted to resemble marble in a technique known as faux marble. The excellent acoustics of the opera house is at least partly due to its wooden interior.

The house is located at the northern extremity of the north wing of the palace. General public access to the theater is gained through the two-story vestibule. Some parts of the Opéra, such as the King's Loge and the King's Boudoir represent some of the earliest expressions of what would become known as the Louis XVI style.

Lully’s Persée — written in 1682, the year Louis XIV moved into the palace — inaugurated the Opéra on 16 May 1770 in celebration of the marriage of the dauphin — the future Louis XVI — to Marie Antoinette.

The Opéra Royal can serve either as a theater for opera, stage plays, or orchestral events, when it can accommodate an audience of 712 or as a ballroom when the floor of the orchestra level of the auditorium can be raised to the level of the stage. On these occasions, the Opéra can accommodate 1,200.

Important Info
Type: Classical Concert
City: Paris, France
Starts at: 20:00
Duration: 1h 10min
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