Natasha Fraser Cavassoni was celebrating her birthday near the Buttes Chaumont and I was lucky to sit next to an eccentric English artist Rupert Shrive who was born in Norfolk but settled in Paris many years ago. He was commissioned to make a large head of Balzac for the Paris Balzac museum and decided to move it from his studio … Read More
L’Inondation, a wonderful surprise at Opéra Comique
The opera “l’Inondation” was first produced in 2019 at Opéra Comique with Chloé Briot and Boris Grappe as The Woman and The Man. It is composed by Francesco Filidei, born in 1973 in Pisa, and trained at the French National Conservatory and at IRCAM, and written and directed by Joël Pommerat, one of France’s leading playwright. It is completely overwhelming … Read More
Here and there, there is so much to see
“Pour la France” is a film produced by Nicolas Mauvernay, about drama and hope in life. About brotherly love and emigration. It could all seem depressing but it is riveting from beginning to end. It is based on a true story, the death of the director’s brother, Aïssa Saidi, when he was a student at the prestigious St Cyr military … Read More
In Senlis, love conversation is the topic at musée de la Chasse.
At a time when deer hunting is particularly criticized by environmental activists, two charming events took place this week which immediately result from this noble sports. A wonderful mass and concert at Eglise de la Trinité was celebrated on January 29 th, with over fifty “sonneurs” French horn players led by Nicolas Dromer and Eric Petit, taking turns with the organist … Read More
Cercle Carpeaux celebrates Elisabeth Platel and Clara Mousseigne
One, Elisabeth Platel, director of the Ballet school of the Paris Opera, received the gold medal for her formidable career, the other, Clara Mousseigne, 18, won the 40 th Prize of Cercle Carpeaux, which is dedicated each year to outstanding dancers. To celebrate this very special anniversary, many former laureates were present surrounding the young Franco Japanese “sujet” who gave … Read More
Christian Marclay, what FUN at Beaubourg
The greatest surprise of the week was for many art and music lovers, the Christian Marclay exhibition at Centre Pompidou which includes 40 years of work with 12 videos, assemblages and photographs. I had no idea about this musician’s talent until the curator, Jean Pierre Criqui, started telling us the story of the American/Swiss artist who uses turntables to make music … Read More
Another fabulous week in Paris!
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 … Read More
The new Sciences Pô gardens, Anri Sala at Bourse du Commerce and Tamara Rojo at TCE
For those of you who are not familiar with Sciences Pô, the Institut d’Etudes Politiques which has formed most politicians, high level civil servants and diplomats in France, it used to be based on rue Saint Guillaume in Saint Germain des Près. In the last twenty years it has become very international and spread out in the whole area of … Read More