Lalo’s opera presents us with a Breton Atlantis: the mythical city of Ys, a glorious outpost in the sea off the coast of Brittany, protected by a wall and a gate with only one key.

Margared, the daughter of the King, becomes jealous over the marriage of her beloved knight Mylio to her sister Rozenn. She hands the key to the gate to Karnac, an enemy of the city, with disastrous consequences and divine intervention.

Audiences of the day delighted in the dramatic plot and ecstatic music, and it was performed hundreds of times across France and internationally over the decade following its premiere in 1888.

For this performance, conductor Paul Wingfield makes a welcome return to Chelsea Opera Group after his critically acclaimed performance of La clemenza di Tito in 2023.

Concert performance in French with English surtitles

5.15pm: Pre-concert talk