Offenbach’s “La Périchole”, conducted by Marc Minkowski and directed by Laurent Pelly with Antoinette Dennefeld and Stanislas de Barbeyrac

Théâtre des Champs Elysées is the most cherished place by Parisians for concerts and operas at the moment. It is easily accessible, the theatre is a beauty opened in 1913, and the productions of extreme quality. This is where we can see Offenbach’s la Périchole at the moment and until November 28, in a production by Laurent Pelly with Marc Minkowski conducting his “Musiciens du Louvre. Marianne Crebassa (who is expecting) was replaced by the excellent Antoinette Dennefeld and Stanislas de Barbeyrac was as attractive as usual. The modern sets and costumes worked well except for some atrocious t-shirts and shorts which are useless, and quite unpleasant for two and half hours, I think. How can we dream when faced with tattoed sleeveless singers?

Stanislas de Barberyrac and Antoinette Dennefeld in La Périchole at TCE

TCE, as it is now often called has named a new director for August 31, 2025, Baptiste Charroig, who is Production director right now and will replace Michel Franck who has been at the helm of  the theatre since 2010. At the same time, Nicolas Droin, who was the managing director of Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, starts on December 1, as director of Opéra Comique at the side of Louis Langrée who travels often in his International conductor’s role. From 18 to 21 May 2023, “Breaking the Waves” inspired by the film by Lars Van Trier will create the event.

Nicolas Droin is the new director of Opéra Comique

Just before the performance I was very happy to drink a glass of champagne at Artcurial where the collection of Didier Ludot and Félix Farrington “From Meissen to Memphis” was being presented. Nothing special to report on their Meissen plates and average furniture, but an interesting preview of their collections of couture outfits which they are auctioning at Christie’s next January 26.  They still currently sell in their Palais Royal boutique their traditional vintage bags and dresses.

Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Spring Summer 1992, sold by Didier Ludot and Felix Farrington at Christie’s on January 26

Sophie Aaron, one of the celebrated debutantes some years ago, has become addicted to art and photography and is publishing a red little book “Synchronicités”. On the cover, a picture of a pretty blonde seen from the back and photographed in front of a Gerhard Richter in the museum in Baden Baden. There are over 100 visuals in the book with each time a person coupled with a painting or a photograph in a famous museum or gallery. From the Tate Modern to Art Basel, from Brussels to Torino, from Mudam in Luxembourg to the Louvre in Paris, Sophie has associated visuals which clash or compete with each other and it is fun. The book presented at Librairie Lardanchet, place Beauvau, is a collector with only 400 copies printed.

“Synchronicités “A fun book on images with photographs by Sophie Aaron (30€)

At musée d’Orsay, America was for one evening  the guest of honor with Villa Albertine, the new cultural program started by Gaetan Bruel in New York, being exposed. The museum was swarming with young trendy artists who wanted to “speed date” with one of the 2022 winners of the residencies. Inspired by Villa Medici in Rome, this program sends young French artists and intellectuals across the country in the US and facilitates their research on a specific theme with precious contacts and a stipend.

Aude Emilie Judaïque, was one of the first candidates selected by Villa Albertine in February 2022. She is preparing a digital exhibition on “borders”

We were lucky with Oliver de Rohan who just introduced his Fondation pour la Sauvegarde de l’Art Français in New York, to speed date with a brilliant creole Sociologist, who studied at Sciences Pô and worked at France Culture. A cross between Picardie and Guadeloupe, Aude Emilie Judaïque is preparing an exhibition on borders with a geographer. This will be shown in Mexico next year and in Québec at Musée des Civilisations in 2026.  There were concerts in the Grande Nef and hundreds of under 40 who were probably discovering Musée d’Orsay for the first time in a groovy atmosphere and in perfect order.

Music was everywhere in the galleries of Musée d’Orsay

Christophe Leribault has been president for over a year and seems to have injected a new youth in the museum… And of course the “Rosa Bonheur” show was part of the fun of the evening…