Out of 400 works shown at Petit Palais in the exhibition “Sarah Bernhardt, and the woman created the star”, there must be at least 200 portraits of hers in oil, watercolor, photographs and sculpture including a number of self portraits and works done by her lifelong companion Louise Abbéma. I had never realized what a good artist the actress was … Read More
“Dancing Pina” is not to be missed
It was very moving to hear the director Florian Heinzen-Ziob and one of the dancers, Lucieny Kaabral from Cabo Verde introduce the film at the first public screening at the Cinq Caumartin theater. One always says that the first day of a new film is the thermometer of its success and at 2 pm, the room was almost full. “Dancing … Read More
Here and there, more Paris temptations…
The presentation of the season at Opéra Comique was great fun and one could feel that Louis Langrée, the conductor who runs it since 2021 and the President, Jean Yves Larrouturou, a former director at Suez who is now a podcaster at France Musique, get on very well. The program is short but exciting with Charles Lecocq, “La fille de … Read More
Rupert Shrive walks to Tours with his Balzac
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