Le Crépuscule des Dieux

The opening plunges listeners into a dazzling night on June 25 1866, when Charles d’Este, Duke of Blankenbourg, throws a grand fête at his Wendessen estate despite the looming war between Prussia and the Confederated States. The air is thick with lanterns, cascading fountains and triumphant arches, while the distant rumble of conflict cannot extinguish the duke’s appetite for splendor and the promise of unity among his subjects.

Amid the glittering crowd of red‑vested countryfolk and aristocrats, a striking figure in a blood‑red coat—Count d’Œls, the duke’s chief chamberlain—moves with a sardonic air, his hawk‑like eyes scanning the revelers. His terse exchange with the enigmatic Mr. Smithson hints at hidden motives and tangled loyalties, suggesting that beneath the pageantry lies a web of political intrigue and personal vendettas that will soon test the fragile peace of the duchy.