Adolphe Adam: Le Postillon de Lonjumeau

Adolphe Adam’s Le Postillon de Lonjumeau was a great success at its premiere in 1836, and, along with the ballet Giselle, has remained one of the composer’s most popular works. Following the great French tradition, this opéra-comique has it all: 18th-century Rococo Parisian glamour and a perilous love story involving the dashing and flirtatious Chapelou and his opposite, the powerful and clever Madeleine. This lavish and spectacular production from the Opéra Comique in Paris received widespread critical acclaim and also features costumes by the iconic French fashion designer Christian Lacroix.

Adam’s neat, charming writing is impeccable, and one recognises the sinuous melodic lines of the composer of Giselle…Michael Spyres possesses exactly the supple, agile voice required for the title-role, and revels in the role’s delicious top notes. As his wife Madeleine, Florie Valiquette offers character in abundance and a technical fluency equivalent to her tenor partner. — BBC Music Magazine, October 2020