Le Coq d'Or (The Golden Cock): An Opera in Three Acts

A weary ruler named Dodon sits upon a gilded throne, plagued by the constant threat of hostile neighbours. His council offers little comfort until a mysterious astrologer presents a wondrous creature—a golden cock perched on the city’s highest spire—capable of foretelling events with its rhythmic calls. As the bird sounds a sudden war alarm, Dodon rallies his warriors and sets off to confront the looming danger.

The fledgling army soon meets a harsh defeat, forced to withdraw into a shadowy gorge littered with the fallen. In the gloom they spy an enemy tent, from which a striking young woman emerges, her voice soaring in a bold hymn to the sun. Captivated by her beauty and confident proclamation of conquest, the king and his generals pause, unsure whether to press the attack or be drawn into her enigmatic charm.