Aurelie Thiele

This is a fictional account of French opera singer, Yvonne Chevallier, who gets caught up in the politics surrounding Paris and Bayreuth in the late 1930s through 1940s. It is a story inspired by the actual singer, Germaine Lubin, the first French woman to sing the role of Isolde (Wagner's: Tristan und Isolde) in Bayreuth, Germany.

Yvonne has struggled, made sacrifices, made difficult decisions throughout her life, all in the interest of clawing her way to the top in pursuit of her career as an exceptional opera singer. She is one who is captivated by the exquisite, difficult and physically demanding music of Richard Wagner. She lives to sing the role of Isolde at the Bayreuth Opera Festival. In 1938, she answers the call to perform the role of Kundry in Parsifal, garnering rave review. In 1939, through extenuating circumstances, she is called back to Bayreuth to sing the role of her dreams, Isolde. There's talk that she sang the role better than any German had thus far. She was a phenom and her career catapulted further.

She returns home to Paris just before war breaks out. She is called upon time and time again to entertain the occupying German forces. She cannot say no. To her, there is no other way to pursue her craft.

The question remains, "How will she be judged by her peers?" Was she merely pursuing her career in the company of the occupiers? Was she a true collaborator? Is there any redemption for her? .....You decide.… (mehr)