Émilie | |
---|---|
Opera by Kaija Saariaho | |
Description | monodrama |
Librettist | Amin Maalouf |
Language | French |
Based on | life and writings of Émilie du Châtelet |
Premiere | 1 March 2010 Opéra National de Lyon |
Émilie is an opera – specifically a 9-scene, 75-minute monodrama for soprano – by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho to a libretto by Amin Maalouf. It was written in 2008. Based on the life and writings of Marquise Émilie du Châtelet, the work premiered at the Opéra de Lyon, France, on 1 March 2010, with Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, its dedicatee. It recounts the achievements of the mathematician, physicist, and mistress of Voltaire: the first woman to establish an international scientific reputation, with pioneering work in the study of fire.
Notes
Sources