Paolo Uccello, St George fighting the dragon, cir 1440, Musée Jacquemart André, Paris

The “rentrée” in Paris is always super exciting with all the new books being published for the prizes, the new season at Opéra de Paris and Théâtre des Champs Elysées but also at Athénée and the openings in galleries.  I will start with an extraordinary and promising show at Louvre Lens (90 mns north of Paris by train), which features 250  “Animaux Fantastiques” from the Antiquity to Salvador Dali. From sacred terror to heroic fights, saints and magical creatures which protect you from death, all animals will appear with Gustave Moreau but also Will Cotton the cowboy who rides pink unicorns. From September 27 to January 15 at Louvre Lens.

Robin Kid, “Kingdom of Ends” at Templon

On September 15, “Fautrier, Les Années 20” is opening at Galerie de la Présidence on place Beauvau (until October 31). Oil paintings and watercolors on  paper coming from the Paul Guillaume and Jeanne Castel collections and exceptional sanguines. The painter who declared that “Painting is my only reason to exist, with women of course” started with figurative paintings in the 1920’s and 30’s.

Jean Fautrier, “The client in the brothel”, circa 1925, gouache and watercolor on paper at Galerie de la Présidence

At Galerie Templon, Robin Kid b.1991, will show for the second time in the space of Grenier Saint Lazare, from September 2 to October 21. An autodidact of Dutch descent, he has collected paintings, sculptures, videos and installation all centering on a two-story high mobile.

Christer Strömholm, España 164 B, 1958-1959 Collection Marin Karmitz at Centre Pompidou

At Centre Pompidou, “Corps à Corps”, pictures from Marin Karmitz’s collection open today on September 5. While in Biarritz, “Le temps d’aimer”, dance festival is like every year the great moment for contemporary ballet lovers after the summer crowds have left.

Singer and pianist Pauline Viardot is rediscovered in her villa in Bougival

The Friends of Georges Bizet, who acquired one of the Herard piano from 1898 belonging to the exceptional singer Pauline Viardot (1821-1910), organize two free concerts in the Villa Viardot, which is opening after five years of refurbishment. The Musée Datcha Tourgueniev is next door. She was Maria Malibran‘s sister and an excellent pianist, who studied with Franz Liszt and played in concert with Clara Schumann. On September 17 at 4 pm and 5.30 pm. And on October 20-22, the first festival Pauline Viardot will take place in hr house in Domaine de Frenes, in Bougival, just outside Paris. You can book on  Les Amis de Georges Bizet.

Villa Viardot in Bougival is run by les Amis de Georges Bizet

If you travel to Switzerland, Fondation Beyeler is opening a new show on September 16 of Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918). The exhibition of 50 paintings is coorganised with the Louisiana museum inDenmark.

Niko Pirosmani, “Fisherman in red shirt”, The Collection of Shalva Amiranashvili, Museum of Fine Arts Georgia, Infinitart Foundation

At Théâtre des Champs Elysées, don’t miss Rossini’s Cenerentola with Marina Viotti as Angelina. The Swiss French mezzo soprano is director Michel Franck’s artist of the year and she will also sing Kurt Weill’s “Die sieben Todsünden” on January 10 and l’Olimpiade by Vivaldi on June 20. On June 28 she will close the season in a recital with Mark Minkowski and les Musicians du Louvre.

Marina Viotti will sing four times at TCE

At Opéra Comique, “La Fille de Madame Angot” by Charles Lecoq conducted by Hervé Niquet and sung by Véronique Gens will open the season on September 27. Madame Angot who sold fish during the French Revolution in Les Halles had a daughter Clairette, who was in love with Pitou, a chansonnier, a cabaret singer. The opera was performed 411 times after its creation on December 4, 1872.

La Fille de Madame Angot at Opéra Comique is based on a true story

And at the Paris Opera, Peter Mattei and Kyle Ketelsen will sing “Don Giovanni” from September 13 th onwards at Bastille while Laurent Naouri and Julie Fuchs will sing “Don Pasquale” by Donizetti at Garnier. At Théâtre de l’Athénée which has an excellent programmation of plays and operas, Jean Anouilh opens the season with “La Culotte”.