Opera to take place on surface of Lake Constance

Final preparations are being made on a giant floating stage at Lake Constance for the premiere of the opera Andre Chenier by the Italian musician Umberto Giordano. The first performance of the four-act opera, based on the life of the eponymous French poet who was executed during the French revolution, will take place on 20 July at the Bregenz festival in Austria. Lake Constance is often used during the festival as an extension of the stage, which this year is being transformed into a 24 metre-high figure of Jean-Paul Marat, inspired by the depiction of his death in the 1793 painting by Jacques-Louis David. The stage design also includes an open book from which members of the cast will emerge, and a large gold mirror. Keith Warner's production incorporates pre-revolutionary dances and marches in the score and revolutionary songs such as the Marseillaise. The Bregenz festival takes place every July and August.