“The Dream of Gerontius”, Edward Elgar’s striking musical meditation on life after death, showcases superb choral writing and Wagnerian inflections. Daniel Harding leads the Orchestre de Paris. Mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená performs as Guardian Angel alongside Andrew Staples and John Relyea in the Grand Salle Pierre Boulez. Created in 1900, this great oratorio, often called the “English Parsifal”, is considered a national gem. While it has been the subject of unconditional admiration for more than a century in England, it was rarely performed outside England’s borders. Even if George Bernard Shaw had no doubt that Elgar’s music was to be immortal, it took some time to prove that he was right. The powerful work, which keeps in tradition with greats like Beethoven, is now revered throughout the world and in this case receives a stellar staging in the beautiful Philharmonie de Paris.
Le Ballet royal de la nuit
A unique and extravagant spectacle at the crossroads of opera, ballet and artistry, captured on film for the very first time: Conductor Sébastien Daucé recreates the Sun King’s opulent Ballet royal de la nuit and evokes the splendour of the 17th century’s French court at the Théâtre de Caen. To recreate this total work of art, which brings together music and imagery, lavish decorations and opulent costumes, Daucé enlists the help of 20 singers, twelve acrobats and three jugglers as well as dancer Sean Patrick Mombruno and the musicians of Ensemble Correspondance, distinguished specialists in the music of the French Grand Siècle. And when Ballet royal de la nuit culminates in the rise of the radiating Sun, there’s nothing left but “unreserved admiration” (Le Monde) for this “exquisite Gesamtkunstwerk” (Welt.de). “A king-like, no, a veritable Sun-King-like delight!” (br.de)
Leonard Bernstein: Mass
Monumental, delirious, transgressive – Mass by Leonard Bernstein is doubtlessly one of the most abundant scores in musical history. On the occasion of the composer’s 100th birthday, Bernstein expert Wayne Marshall, the Orchestre de Paris, its Chorus and Children’s Chorus and the Ensemble Aedes take on this “extravagant, exuberant and endlessly inventive creation” (The New York Times). Oscillating between playful experimentation and musical comedy, between brass band and gospel, the Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers creates whirlwinds of grandeur in a post-1968 atmosphere. Bernstein mixes jazz, rock and classical music, combines traditional liturgical elements with Broadway style compositions, and brings on stage electric guitars alongside three choirs and 24 soloists. Commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy, Bernstein’s Mass premiered in September 1971 at the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Bernstein composed the exceptional score at the time of sexual revolution, of the women’s and the environmental movement and the peak of the Vietnam War. In this very tense political situation, Mass caused fierce controversy, because it contained messages of peace and fraternity which were supposed to indirectly proclaim Bernstein’s rejection of the Vietnam War and his antiestablishment attitude. “Arguably the best thing Bernstein ever wrote!” (The Washington Post)
Les p´tites Michu
In this delightful comedy by Andre Messager, award-winning conductor Pierre Dumoussaud and his young, creative team capture the audience’s imagination at the Theatre Graslin in Nantes with this “hilarious game of misunderstandings” (Le Figaro). After ist phenomenal Broadway run in 1907, Les p’tites Michu became an international hit. In Nantes, the bright colouring and the illustrations by Marianne Tricot give the operetta a cheerful, contemporary look.
La Pietra del Paragone
Considering that Rossini’s opera buffa “La pietra del paragone” (The Touchstone) is hardly ever staged and that its title is not even known through its overture, like “La scala di seta” or “La gazza ladra,” music lovers can be forgiven for being in the dark about this sparklingly luminous work. One of Rossini’s first operas, it was written for Milan’s La Scala and premiered there in 1812. It was a resounding success – in spite of its standard libretto filled with disguises, mistaken identities and trials of love and loyalty. But it boasts a splendidly varied orchestral writing, which includes dramatic hunt and storm scenes, and betrays a love of language and wordplay which presages Rossini’s later works. For this alone, it deserves an above-average treatment. The least one can say about this magical, multi-media and often side-splitting production by Pierrick Sorin and Giorgio Barberio Corsetti – and its video recording by Philippe Béziat presented here – is that Rossini’s “Touchstone” is given an incomparably special treatment here! Known for his video installations and live video performances, Sorin magnifies Rossini’s buffo humor by having the singers recorded live on stage by five cameras, integrated into decors filmed elsewhere on the stage, and having the result projected onto three large screens. The visual gags and optical illusions are as sweetly mischievous and cleverly absurd as Rossini’s libretto and musical setting.
Pelléas et Mélisande
Paris’ Opéra de la Bastille celebrated the 150th birthday of Claude Debussy with avant-garde director Robert Wilson’s “wondrous” (Le Figaro) production of “Pelléas et Mélisande” featuring a stellar cast headed by Stéphane Degout, Elena Tsallagova and Vincent Le Texier in the lead roles, and supported by high-caliber performers such as Anne-Sofie von Otter and Franz Joseph Selig in smaller roles. “The singers have integrated Wilson’s language of gestures and lighting to a degree never attained by previous casts” (Le Figaro). Philippe Jordan gives a transparent reading of Debussy’ haunting score.
Donizetti, La Favorite
“Each note a masterpiece”, said Arturo Toscanini of Donizetti’s La Favorite. Something of a seldom-performed rarity today, it was rarely out of the Paris opera repertoire in the decades that followed its premiere. It is considered one of the composer’s most cogent works of music drama and shows Donizetti at the height of his powers as an orchestrator. The opera is the first original French opera by the Italian bel canto composer – a happy congruence of the Italian and French operatic traditions.
Carmen
The ancient Roman Théâtre antique d’Orange is offering its breath-taking ambience to George Bizet’s world-renowned love drama, Carmen. The principle roles are portrayed by the spectacular Kate Aldrich in her signature roll as the seductive temptress Carmen, and star tenor Jonas Kaufmann as the troubled and jealous army officer, Don José. “Aldrich makes Carmen a magic presence by sheer vivacity of personality”, writes Opera Today on her exceptional festival debut. The rest of the cast, too, are nothing less than outstanding – most notably Inva Mula as Micaëla and Kyle Ketelsen as Escamillo, whose wit and playfulness delight his audience. In the pit are the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and their new principal conductor, Mikko Franck. The directing of Louis Désiré, who also designed the set and costumes, fits ideally into this picturesque setting and paints a naturalistic image of society in keeping with Bizet’s intentions.
Handel, Theodora
Handel’s own favourite amongst his English oratorios, Theodora proved a surprising failure at its 1750 London premiere, receiving only three performances and being revived just once before its composer’s death. That Theodora is now recognized as one of the most sublime and moving creations of Handel’s final years is largely due to the passionate advocacy of William Christie, who here directs his peerless period-instrument ensemble Les Arts Florissants for this new production at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. The starry cast is led by young British soprano Katherine Watson, instilling the title-role with her “vocal bloom, emotional depth and beguiling phrasing” (New York Times), and leading French counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky, bringing his “seraphic timbre” (Les Echos) to the role of Didymus. Directed with “luminous simplicity” (Artistik Rezo) by Stephen Langridge this powerful and uplifting production transforms its historical story into a “timeless yet terribly current” (France TV Info.com) plea for freedom of conscience and religious tolerance in contemporary society.
Médée
Luigi Cherubini’s most famous opera Médée is based on the universal and timeless tragedy Medea by the Greek poet Euripides. With a mother who exacts revenge for her husband’s betrayal by killing their own children, it is undoubtedly one of the most violent and frigid myths that Antic Greece has left us. French stage director Jean-Yves Ruf chose the original French version of Médéefrom 1797, instead of the more frequently performed Italian translation, to be presented at Dijon Opera. He highlights the libretto through a dark lightened stage set (created by architect and stage designer Laure Pichat), which perfectly fits the gloomy mood of the play. The Dijon Bourgogne Orchestra, under the baton of Nicolas Krüger, performs brilliantly with lyrical and beautiful playing.