Rameau, Castor & Pollux

In 2026, Leonardo García-Alarcón will star at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, conducting Castor et Pollux, Jean-Philippe Rameau’s third opera with Cappella Mediterranea.

This opera explores the power of sacrifice and fraternal bonds in the face of divine laws. Pollux, immortal son of Jupiter, renounces his immortality to descend into the Underworld and bring his brother Castor back to life. Leonardo García-Alarcón was invited to work with choreographer Edward Clug on this work, in which brotherly love, heroism and echoes of war are interwoven.

Jean-Philippe Rameau was already the author of numerous keyboard pieces, as well as religious and occasional pieces, but in 1733 he composed his first tragédie lyrique, Hippolyte et Aricie. Les Indes galantes. followed in 1735, and Castor et Pollux in 1737. In these five acts, punctuated by danced entertainments, the composer incorporates Italianate madrigalisms, virtuoso ornamentation, unusual chord progressions, subtle dissonances and rich orchestral textures, all designed to underline the characters’ emotions and dramatic tensions.

Leonardo García-Alarcón and Romanian choreographer Edward Clug have decided to tackle the rarely-performed 1737 version, more innovative and subtle than the 1754 version. Against the backdrop of a war between two neighboring peoples that has left deep scars, Rameau paints an almost psychological portrait of the characters, in particular Pollux, torn between his love for Télaïre, his brother Castor’s betrothed, and his duty to the latter. Willing to give up his immortality to save his fallen mortal brother, Pollux descends into the underworld to take his place. What we’re talking about here is a universal brotherhood that transcends everything – even death – and an unconditional love that overcomes the horrors of war.