This opera buffa (an 18th century comic opera), is a witty satire of Parisian upper class social mores. Composer Jaques Offenbach has based the story on Helen of Troy, focusing on the declining morals of the Second Empire elite. Filmed in 1997 at a Zurich Opera house performance, this version of LA BELLE HELENE was conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and stars Vesselina Kasarova and Deon Van Der Walt.