MAYERLING Comes to the Paris Opera Next Month

Mayerling is the name of the hunting lodge in which the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Rudolf, was found dead in 1889. Why did the son of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth (the famous Sissi) commit suicide in the company of his mistress, the young Mary Vetsera?

Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet inspired by this mystery‑shrouded historic event was first performed in London in 1978 and entered the Paris Opera’s repertoire in 2022. Plagued by addictions and suicidal thoughts, a tormented character buffeted by history, Rudolf provides an opportunity for the choreographer to develop themes dear to him.

Set to feverish music by Franz Liszt, Mayerling unfolds an immensely theatrical neo-classical choreography. Grandiose scenes are interwoven with intimate scenes in sumptuous costumes whose autumnal hues reflect the decline of a world destined to disappear.

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