Denisov’s The Foam of Days in Lille

Opera de Lille revives Denisov’s surreal opera inspired by Boris Vian’s cult novel, blending poetry, jazz and lyric drama.

Opéra de Lille presents a new production of The Foam of Days, Edison Denisov’s operatic adaptation of Boris Vian’s cult novel L’Écume des jours. Written in post-war Paris and celebrated for its surreal poetry and inventive imagination, Vian’s story follows the fragile happiness of Colin and Chloé as their dreamlike world slowly darkens under the shadow of illness.

Created in 1986, Denisov’s opera occupies a singular place in the contemporary repertoire. Fascinated by French culture and Western modernism, the Soviet composer transformed Vian’s fantastical universe into a richly textured score blending lyrical writing, jazz influences inspired by Duke Ellington, liturgical choral sonorities and echoes of Wagnerian drama. The work became one of the most striking examples of Denisov’s polystylistic language, developed in opposition to the artistic constraints of Soviet cultural policy.

Conducted by Bassem Akiki, renowned for his commitment to contemporary music, this new production embraces the opera’s stylistic contrasts with fluidity and dramatic intensity. For her operatic debut, director Anna Smolar places Chloé at the centre of the narrative, offering a more intimate and contemporary reading of the work. No longer confined to an idealised figure, she emerges as a fully embodied woman confronting love, illness and mortality with lucidity and strength.

Combining surreal invention, theatrical poetry and musical richness, The Foam of Days offers a rare opportunity to rediscover a major 20th-century opera that has remained largely absent from French stages since its premiere

Genre Live Show
Recording location Opéra de Lille, France
Production year 2025
Duration 2h15
Musical style Opera
Conductor Bassem Akiki
Stage Director Anna Smolar