Hector Berlioz: Troyens (Les) (PAL) (Arthaus DVD)

The gates of Troy are open again after a ten-year siege. The Greek troops appear to have departed the battlefield - their fleet of ships having disappeared over the horizon. Rejoicing at such an unexpected victory, the Trojen citizens pour out of their city to take a look at what the Greeks appear to have left behind: a giant wooden horse, which they take to be an offering to pallas Athene. The only one among them not to be lulled into the general festive spirit is Cassandra, who has seen Hector's ghost wandering the city ramparts with a look of foreboding about him - she senses impending disaster. Nobody pays any heed to her warnings, however, least of all her suitor Coroebus, who tries in vain to soothe her with a tender serenade. In the presence of King Priam and Hecuba his queen, the Trojens thank the gods for their safe release. But a shadow is cast over the festivities with the appearance of Hector's widow Andromache and their son Astyanax, her silent mourning a memorial to those sacrificed in the long years of fighting.