Selections and Scenes from Darius Milhaud’s Esther de Carpentras

Esther de Carpentras (1938) is a two-act opéra bouffe (satirical comic opera) by Darius Milhaud with a libretto by Armand Lunel. Rooted in Purim traditions of southern France’s Jewish communities, it fuses biblical Esther themes, Judeo-Provençal performance heritage, and Milhaud’s Jewish identity. 

This program presents excerpts, animation, and contextual lectures. 

This concert is a program of the NCMA’s Initiative for Jewish Art and Culture, made possible through the generosity of our donors, whose annual gifts have supported programming for the 2025 season. 

Image: Aert de Gelder, Esther and Mordecai, circa 1685, oil on canvas, 23 1/2 × 56 1/2 in., Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, Museum Appropriation Fund, 17.138