Gala Dinner

From Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann, through Bizet's Carmen and Verdi's La Traviata to Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, enter the Opéra place Stanislas, transformed for an evening into the palace of Count Ernest de Chaligny, who welcomes you for an unforgettable dinner...

Count Ernest de Chaligny's palace has remained closed-door and veiled-windowed for the past ten years, since the disappearance of his wife, Countess Constanza de Chaligny, the famous Argentinian singer. No Nancy resident, gossip or watchman, ever caught the Count leaving. Once a leading figure in Nancy society, no one knows if he's still alive, or if he is, what he's doing there. However, wisps of smoke billowing from the building's roof at the end of each winter's day suggest that a presence still inhabits the palace. Some claim to have seen figures moving stealthily behind the windows. Others claim to have heard distant melodies emanating from the bowels of the large building, whose exceptional location in the heart of the city, on Place Stanislas, continues to attract tireless attention.

We have it on good authority that a terrible accident occurred just ten years ago during a rehearsal of Carmen, in which his wife was working on the title role. She, who only performed at home, accompanied by her singers and orchestra, amazed all those lucky enough to come and hear her, thanks to the crystalline sound of her voice and the electric beauty that emanated from her when she sang. That day, without any real explanation as to the cause of the tragedy, a heavy chandelier fell from the hangers and toppled over her, interrupting her singing forever and depriving the Count of his only reason to live. From then on, Count Ernest de Chaligny sank into grief and never left his retreat. A mysterious aura enveloped his memory, feeding a lively imagination in the conversations of the locals.

As the autumn of 2023 set in with tenacity, what a surprise it was for those who received an invitation to their homes, inviting them to an exceptional evening at the Palais, whose doors had never before reopened!