Clara Olivares: Les Sentinelles

Les Sentinelles premieres in the magnificent hall of the Opéra National de Bordeaux – online from 14 April.

The relationship between a mother and her highly gifted daughter deteriorates when a female couple enters their lives. As the three adults grow closer, they attempt to guide the young girl on her quest for meaning—like sentinels. However, each woman gradually brings her own, sometimes contradictory and self-serving, ideas into play, creating a complex web of relationships. The roles begin to shift, and the girl becomes an anchor for the three women—until she ultimately slips away from them.

Les Sentinelles premieres in the magnificent hall of the Opéra National de Bordeaux. The work transcends the traditional operatic repertoire, as all key contributors are women. Composer Clara Olivares, conductor Lucie Leguay—winner of the Newcomer category at the 2023 Victoires de la Musique Classique—and opera director and librettist Chloé Lechat have boldly shaken up the classical music world. The opera is performed by three singers and an actress, centering on strong women who challenge societal norms and constraints. The performers’ inner struggles and the pressing questions of our time unfold on a stark, almost minimalist stage—evoking the aesthetic of Lars von Trier’s Dogville.

Recorded in November 2024 at the Opéra National de Bordeaux.

Opera by Clara Olivares
ARTE France, La Blogothèque Productions
France 2024, 96 min.

Production and libretto: Chloé Lechat
Conductor: Lucie Leguay
Orchestra: Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine
With: Anne-Catherine Gillet, Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo, Camille Schnoor, Noémie Develay-Ressiguier

Genre Opera
Recording date November 2024
Duration 96 min