The Opéra National de Paris has announced that for the first time in its history, the company will be organizing an auction in support of its projects. The auction will be organized by Paris Opera’s Outreach Association (AROP) and the auction house Sotheby’s. The auction, entitled “ Soutenons l’Opéra, Enchérissons pour la création (Let’s support the Opera, Bid for creation)” is {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to present Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” starting on Feb. 18, 2023. The opera will be directed by Andrei Serban and conducted by Aziz Shokhakimov. The production features set and costume design by William Dudley with lighting design by Guido Levi. Ching-Lien Wu is the chorus master for the Paris Opera Chorus. Brenda Rae {…}
This review is for the performance of January 21, 2023 Unearthing the bodies of “Il Trovatore,” La Fura dels Baus and Àlex Ollé found the first great war. This is not a literary metaphor used by this pedantic critic, but what actually was presented in the stage. Large tombs are raised and lowered into rows of graves on the stage {…}
This review is for the performance on Jan. 17, 2023. Having lived in Paris for a while, I can say I have more than once seen a stage director booed. Once, a conductor was vaguely disproved of by few operagoers. But until tonight, I have never seen a soprano booed so virulently as Parisians jeered Mary Elizabeth Williams’ Isolde. Why {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to showcase “Peter Grimes,” opening on January 26, 2023. The opera is directed by Deborah Warner, whose production premiered at the Teatro Real de Madrid in 2021. Conductor Alexander Soddy, who worked as the music director at the Nationaltheater Mannheim between 2016-22, will make his Paris Opera debut in the pit. Headlining the {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to present Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” starting on Jan. 21, 2023. The opera, which will run through Feb. 17, 2023 for nine performances, will be conducted by Carlo Rizzi. It will star Anna Pirozzi as Leonora with Yusif Eyvazov as Manrico. In the role of Il Conte di Luna, audiences will see Étienne Dupuis. {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to present a series of concerts featuring artists from the Académie au Palais Garnier. First up will be an aria and ensembles concert. That showcase will feature music by Rossini, Thomas, Poulenc, Britten, Gounod, Massenet, and Donizetti from such operas as “Guillaume Tell,” “Semiramide,” “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” “Hamlet,” “Dialogues des Carmélites,” “Gloriana,” {…}
(Credit: Charles Duprat / Opéra national de Paris) (This review is for performances on November 25 and 27) Netia Jones’ staging proves how much an ill-conceived mis-en-scene can affect the music, even when it is Mozart. In Portuguese, we say that Mozart’s music must be as a perfect and smooth as a rare pearl. There is even an adjective “perolado” {…}
This review is based on performances on Nov. 15 & 18, 2022. In every opera house, there is always an informal smoker’s meeting outside in the entr’acte. It is the best place to “feel the mood” of how an opera performance is being received. Hence, I am there solely for journalistic reasons, and nothing more. On this occasion, I went {…}
(Credit: Agathe-Poupeney) This review compiles performances attended on Oct 15, 18 and Nov. 5. When conductor Simone Young entered the stage to be applauded after her performance in Paris Opéra’s new production of “Salome,” some incipient voices started to boo her. The booers quickly realized their error; they actually wanted to hoot the staging team commanded by Lydia Steier. It {…}
(© photo : Eléna Bauer/OnP) Le Fonds Unisson has changed its name to Fonds Tutti and its founding members being Sandra Lagumina, Marie Lambert, and Philippe Do have announced its Programme Tremplin. The foundation will select eight singers to be part of the Programme Tremplin with the intent of supporting them in their career through private vocal lessons, public master {…}
