Et Aricie Rameau Glyndebourne Kent Christie

Hippolytus, son of Theseus, finds himself torn between duty and desire when the goddess Venus demands he abandon his vow of chastity to seduce the priestess Aricia. As divine and mortal forces collide, Hippolytus struggles against the goddess's relentless machinations while Aricia becomes an unwitting pawn in celestial games. The work explores the eternal conflict between human will and divine intervention, as characters navigate impossible choices imposed by the gods. Rameau's masterpiece of French baroque opera combines elaborate spectacle with profound emotional depth, featuring transformations, supernatural interventions, and the inexorable march toward tragic consequence.