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Astarté
120
French
Synopsis
Set in ancient Phoenicia, the opera centers on the goddess Astarte and her priestesses, who engage in ritualized lesbian desire and transgressive power struggles. The plot involves a mortal queen who seeks to usurp divine power, leading to seduction, ritual sacrifice, and the blurring of gender roles. The work explores themes of non‑binary divinity, female homoeroticism, and the collapse of moral order through transgression.
Composer
Xavier Leroux
Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright
Louis de Gramont
Year of composition/publication / premiere
1901
Genre
Opera
LGBTQAI+ category
Lesbian, Queer
Level of centrality
Main character
Characters
Astarté
Voice type
Soprano
Pronouns
she/her
Publisher / Rights holder
Public domain
Where to buy / access the work
Performance rights
For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.
Official website
Audio recording(s)
Video performance(s)
Keywords
Astarté, Xavier Leroux, lesbian desire, Phoenician, decadent opera, fin‑de‑siècle, priestess, non‑binary, transgression