555: Verlaine En Prison

555: Verlaine en prison tells the untold and unjust story one of France’s most celebrated poets, Paul Verlaine who shot and injured his lover, the 17-year old poet Arthur Rimbaud. Despite Rimbaud dropping the charges, Verlaine’s homosexuality ensured that he received the maximum sentence – 555 days in Mons prison. 555: Verlaine en Prison, weaves together settings of Verlaine’s poetry by Debussy, Hahn and Faure and extracts from his letters and poems to tell the poet’s extraordinary story in his own words.Sung in French with English surtitles.Part of Grimeborn Opera Festival 2024. Studio 1