According to Berlioz, Spontini was - after Gluck - the greatest genius of French music to prepare the Romantic century. And perhaps the little-known Olympia, which Spontini had created in 1819 - and which was revived in 1826 under the modified title Olimpie - marks more than one can still imagine the real lyrical upheaval that would set French opera on the path to the modernity of "grand opera". From beginning to end, this score, chiseled by astonishing instrumentation, is nourished by spectacular effects that clearly foreshadow Berlioz's Les Troyens. The omnipresence of a plethoric choir, the valour of Antigone's interventions, the pathetic role of Statira (imagined for Caroline Branchu, then at her zenith), all contribute to make such an impression that Berlioz was moved to tears. One of the first peplums of the 19th century, no doubt.