“Singing in the rain” on stage at Grand Palais

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Two things led me to go and see Théâtre du Châtelet’s production of “Singing in the rain” even though it is sold out until January 11. Robert Carsen, the genius director who has never disappointed me, and the fact that it takes place at the Grand Palais, under its huge glass roof, an unbeatable decor. It was great fun!

Maria by Callas, a film true to her genius

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Maria Callas has remained in our minds as the greatest « diva » of the second half of the 20 th century and her destiny is as tragic as the parts she loved to sing, Medea, Norma, Traviata. On December 13th, a documentary of her life, directed by Tom Volf, « Maria by Callas » will be aired in movie … Read More

Opera at the V & A, a powerful political tool

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The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is accustomed to surprising us with very imaginative exhibitions and I was very excited by my visit of « Opera, Passion and Power » conceived with the Royal Opera house. This new show is visited with head phones and could seem very didactic if it was not so cleverly designed.

Grétry’s, “Zémire et Azor” at Salle Cortot

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There is a definite charm to Salle Cortot, a little concert hall designed by Auguste Perret in 1928, which belongs to Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, a private music school which trains 700 International musicians every year. At the gala for their benefactors, I had the chance to listen to a rarely performed opera by André Grétry, based on … Read More

“Miranda” by Purcell at Opéra Comique

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I had sadly been to three funerals last week so I did not feel like sitting at yet another one at Opéra Comique, at the première of “Miranda”. The decor was fabulous and the voices singing Purcell could not have been more delightful, but facing a coffin and masked singers holding a gun for one hour and a half was … Read More

Maria Callas, celebrated everywhere

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It’s been 40 years since she left us, and Maria Callas has remained in our hearts and on our minds ever since as the greatest opera voice and actress of the second half of the 20 th century. Yet I was surprised to have dinner with a young French diplomat last week who had never heard of her ! So the … Read More

Martigny, the center of artistic world, again

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Cecilia Bartoli was singing at Fondation Pierre Gianadda for the 25 th time and Daniel Marchesseau was curating an exhibition there for the fifteenth time. The combination of Haendel sung by the diva with cellist Sol Gabetta and her brother’s baroque orchestra, Cappella Gabetta, with a hundred paintings and drawings by Paul Cézanne in the background, was a winner. Again … Read More

Henri de Turenne, a year later

parisdiaBooks, Performing arts4 Comments

When Henri de Turenne died last year on August 23, at 94, I was so sad, I could not write about him. His modesty, his elegance, his youthful mind and his fantastic sense of humor made him, till his last days, the most fun friend to visit and to listen to. I admired and respected  him enormously. A year later, … Read More