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Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opéra National de Paris 2025-26 Review: Carmen

https://operawire.com/opera-national-de-paris-2025-26-review-carmen/

(Credit: © Benoîte Fanton) “Carmen” is just about the last opera one would think of as homoerotic, yet this is the vibe of this Paris production; it’s haunted by the male body as object of desire. Other adjectives used to describe it would be bleak, vulgar, obscene, violent and most of all angry. Judging from the costumes, Calixto Bieito’s staging {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews


Opéra Comique Paris 2025-26 Review: Werther

https://operawire.com/opera-comique-paris-2026-review-werther/

(Photo: Jean-Louis Fernandez) I first heard Samoan tenor Pene Pati a year ago in Munich in “La bohème,” an opera I’ve seen so often that I make every effort to avoid it. But this time was different; I was completely disarmed by this beautiful lyric tenor’s voice, his charm and his authenticity. Endowed with brilliant high notes, a beautiful timbre, {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opéra National de Paris 2025-26 Review: Un Ballo in Maschera

https://operawire.com/opera-national-de-paris-2025-26-review-un-ballo-in-maschera/

The etymology of the Italian word “maschera” (and its English equivalent “mask”) is rather obscure. It’s derived from the Arabic word “maskara,” meaning buffoonery and/or harsh derision. Indeed, a closer look at “Un ballo in maschera” reveals a higher degree of caustic bite far beyond the final act’s famous masked ball. Amelia seeks help from the soothsayer Ulrica to rid {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opéra National de Paris 2025-26 Review: Eugene Onegin

https://operawire.com/opera-national-de-paris-2025-26-review-eugene-onegin/

(Credit: © Guergana Damianova – OnP) Ralph Fiennes knows a thing or two about Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse, “Eugene Onegin.” It turns out he has a touch for opera, too, based on his directorial debut at the Paris Opera. His staging of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” at the Palais Garnier is rooted in tradition, but he controlled the action on {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opéra National de Paris 2025-26 Review: Siegfried

https://operawire.com/opera-national-de-paris-2025-26-review-siegfried/

When they first appeared on European stages a quarter century ago, Calixto Bieito’s stagings were considered revolutionary, typified by their linear contours and geometric shapes. Typically, he deconstructs an opera and then rebuilds it incorporating rarely seen elements. In earlier years, this was refreshing and provocative. However, it’s a sad sight indeed when a once iconoclastic director routinely regurgitates past {…}

News, Streaming

Opéra de Paris to Broadcast Ralph Fiennes’ Production of ‘Eugene Onegin’

https://operawire.com/opera-de-paris-to-broadcast-ralph-fiennes-production-of-eugene-onegin/

(Credit: Guergana Damianova / OnP) The Opéra National de Paris is set to broadcast and stream its new production of “Eugene Onegin.” The opera will be broadcast live on France.tv on Feb. 9 and will also be broadcast at a later date in cinemas and on Paris Opera Play. The recording will be made on Feb. 6 and 9, 2026, {…}

News, Streaming

Opéra de Paris to Present ‘Un Ballo in Maschera’ in Cinemas with Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani & Ludovic Tézier

https://operawire.com/opera-de-paris-to-present-un-ballo-in-maschera-in-cinemas-with-anna-netrebko-matthew-polenzani-ludovic-tezier/

(Credit: Benjamin Girette/OnP) The Opéra National de Paris is set to present “Un Ballo in Maschera” in cinemas on Feb. 8, 2026. The opera, which will be presented in a production by Gilbert Deflo, will star Anna Netrebko (Amelia), Matthew Polenzani (Riccardo), Ludovic Tézier (Renato), Sara Blanch (Oscar), and Elizabeth DeShong (Ulrica). Speranza Scapucci conducts. The opera will be  shown {…}

Business, News

Opéra National de Paris Appoints New Music Director

https://operawire.com/opera-national-de-paris-appoints-new-music-director/

(Credit: © James Bort / OnP) The Opéra National de Paris has appointed Semyon Bychkov its new Music Director. The company and Alexander Neef, Director General of the Paris National Opera, announced the news and noted that Bychov will start his tenure on August 1, 2028. His first contract will be for four seasons. Bychov will be responsible for overseeing {…}

News

Opéra National de Paris Announces Program for Académie Gala at the Palais Garnier

https://operawire.com/opera-national-de-paris-announces-program-for-academie-gala-at-the-palais-garnier/

(Credit: © Vincent Lappartient) The Opéra National de Paris will present its annual Académie Gala at the Palais Garnier on Jan. 20, 2026. The program features artists-in-residence of the Académie performing with the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris under the direction of Stephanie Childress and staging by Pascal Neyron. The program includes Augusta Holmès’s “La Nuit et l’Amour” and {…}