When Rossini’s opera Le Siège de Corinthe was premiered in 1826 in Paris it became a huge success all over Europe. The Rossini Opera Festival presents the opera in a new production from Carlus Padrissa of the Barcelona collective La Fura dels Baus, “which here has one of its most interesting shows” (connessiallopera.it). Artisticly “Roberto Abbado holds the ranks excellently and supports a well-cohesive and balanced cast” (L’ape musicale) “where bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni growled fearsomely as Sultan Mahomet, tenor Sergey Romanovsky as Néoclès matched a warm tone with pinging top notes, and tenor John Irvin was self-assured as Cléomène, but soprano Nino Machaidze as Pamyra thrilled most of all, as she purred effortlessly through pyrotechnic coloratura” (Financial Times).
Macelaru conducts La Damnation de Faust
90 years of the Orchestre National de France – that’s something to celebrate! To mark this special occasion, chief conductor Cristian Macelaru has decided to perform a work by the great Hector Berlioz. And what could be more suitable for this anniversary concert than La Damnation de Faust?
Berlioz himself described the work at the interface between symphony and opera as a “dramatic legend”. It achieved great popularity, not least due to the famous Rákóczi March, and enjoys cult status among many music lovers.
To present Berlioz’s work in all its glory, the Orchestre National de Fe is supported by the Chœur de Radio France as well as tenor John Irvin (Faust), mezzo-soprano Stéphanie d’Oustrac (Margarethe) and the two basses Paul Gay (Mephisto) and Frédéric Caton (Brander). The performance is further enhanced by the magnificent Art Deco décor of the Théâtre des Champs Elysées.