It was a fun occasion to discover the last works of restoration at Opéra Comique (which is reopening at the end of April) while tasting the raspberry love cake called « Favart » after the theatre’s founder’s name. Created by Le Nôtre to celebrate Valentine’s day and the new production of “Fantasio” by Offenbach, the cake will be served with … Read More
Opéra Comique reopens with a fun season
Olivier Mantei is a genius at communication and during the eighteen months renovation of Opéra Comique which he runs, he managed to keep his subscribers on alert all the time. His training with Accents and Laurence Equilbey and as an independent agent, with Peter Brook at Bouffes du Nord and as a music teacher in Morocco when he was young, … Read More
Sheila Hicks embroids Carnavalet
There is something whimsical about Sheila Hicks’ woolen art “ApprenTissages” exhibited in the courtyard of Musée Carnavalet until October 2. At the inauguration, the boxwood and flower bushes gave a welcome freshness to an overheated Marais. Hôtel Carnavalet was designed in the Renaissance and finished in the 17 th century by Mansart, is closing for renovation soon and Festival d’Automne … Read More
From Warsaw with love
« What do you think of our country? » was the anxious question asked by my host after a four day tour of Warsaw and Krakow. Well this is not so easy to answer, since Poland is so different from the western world I know and yet, it is so familiar. What struck me the most, was the extreme kindness and … Read More
Pont Croix, chamber music at its best
It was a magical evening thanks to the talent of very young musicians and the energy of Yves Petit de Voize. Brittany was warmer than ever and we had spent the day watching antique boats crossing from Brest to Douarnenez. The old Collégiale of Pont Croix, population 1 500, was packed with music lovers. And the Hermès quartet and French … Read More
Anna Karenine at Théâtre de la Tempête
French newspapers are full of Golshifteh Farahani, the 32 year old Iranian actress who had to leave her country four years ago, in order to be free on screen. She was in Cannes for the film festival and spoke about Jim Jarmush’s « Paterson » in which she acts, she is on French screens in « Les Malheurs de Sophie … Read More
Sabine Devieilhe, a total star in Somnambula
There are magical evenings that one only lives through a few times in one’s life and Monday night at Théâtre des Champs Elysées was one of them. My good friend Sophie de Ségur, who knows the opera world in and out, had warned me : do not miss Sabine Devieilhe’s « Somnambula » in April, she is a major singer ! And so obediently, … Read More
Soprano Chirara Skerath, a revelation
There is something magical about discovering a new voice in a very intimate space. Twenty eight year old soprano Chiara Skerath was singing melodies by Poulenc and Reynaldo Hahn, Schubert and Ottorino Respighi at Eléphant Paname, a private house for the arts, on rue Volney in Paris. These evenings for 110 guests are organized by former tenor Richard Plaza and … Read More