The Opéra, a "place of memory"

Our national and collective memory is embodied in places, characters, items and works of arts that Pierre Nora likens to “places of memory”. Commemorations and anniversaries thus punctuate our cultural life and offer great opportunities in terms of programme. One of the best examples at the Opéra Comique is the creation of Atys in 1987 to celebrate the three-hundredth anniversary of Lully’s death. The opera also promotes the preservation and enhancement of our cultural heritage, of our collective history. As 2020 is exempt from any anniversary celebration, let’s seize this opportunity to focus on the place of memory and collective emotion that has been and still is the Opéra Comique.