Ten young people in an abandoned theater. Outside, chaos; inside, a pact. They tell stories so that life can go on and fear can be defied. In 1350, Boccaccio wrote The Decameron to ward off the Black Death in Florence. This first popular bestseller—a whirlwind of bawdy, romantic, cruel, and comic tales—has become an unbridled creation by Matteo Franceschini. A new comic opera? Food plays its full part!

Program

Décaméron - Premiere 2026
Commissioned by the Opéra Grand Avignon, with support for a musical composition from the French Ministry of Culture and the DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Sung in several languages, French subtitles. Éditions Ricordi

Distribution

Matteo Franceschini musique, dramaturgy
Stefano Simone Pintor libretto based on Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, dramaturgy
Bianca Chillemi music direction, music studies
Caroline Leboutte staging, dramaturgy
Aurélie Borremans scenography and costumes
Fatou Traoré choreography
Nicolas Olivier lighting
Charlotte Avias, Clara Barbier-Serrano, Elena Caccamo, Mathieu Dubroca, Hélène Escriva, Kenny Ferreira, Elena Olga Groppo, Robin Kirklar, Laure Magnien, Laura Muller performers

Production Opéra Grand Avignon, With the support of the GMEM - Centre National de Création Musicale de Marseille et du FCL - Fonds de Création Lyrique. Coproduction Opéra Grand Avignon, IRCAM-Centre Pompidou, Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet. With the support of the Centre national de la Musique.