Jean Yves Larrouturou and Louis Langrée at Opéra Comique

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 Madame Angot” conducted by Hervé Niquet, in September, a creation by Pascal Dusapin “Macbeth Underworld” which was going to premiere on the day of the confinement in March 2020, and was played in Brussels in September 2019. Then “Fantasio” by Offenbach directed by Thomas Jolly, a Schubert lyric meli melo, Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” and Ravel’s “Spanish Hour” conducted by Louis Langrée and directed by the actor Guillaume Gallienne with a choreography by Clairemarie Osma. “Armide” by Lully will close the year in June after Isabelle Aboulker’s “Archipels” in April.

“Macbeth Underworld”, by Pascal Dusapin, will start on November 6 at Opéra Comique

The great news is the creation of a new Academy starting in the fall, where 2 conductors, 2 pianists, 5 singers, 2 directors and one choir director will study French opera comique. There were 3 000 operas created in this theater in 300 years, and Louis Langrée’s wish is to keep this kind of light music alive. Students will go and search in the library of the Garnier Opera and uncover forgotten works. He played a few notes from West Side Story to illustrate the emotion which can derive from words and music and talked about the art of speaking naturally in a musical piece. He considers the Academy as his new mission of transmitting knowledge to new generations.

Benjamin Derouillon and Alexandre Benjamin Navet at Galerie Derouillon, at ArtParis

At ArtParis, everyone was there early at the opening and at Galerie Derouillon, many paintings by Alexandre Benjamin Navet were already sold (at 17 000€). The whole booth was great fun and just what we needed after all the demonstrations and garbage strikes… For the second year in a row I liked a photographer from Galerie Binome,  Lisa Sartorio‘s enigmatic boxes and sculptures covered with prints.

Lisa Sartorio, Untitled #17, (Le Bayou), 2023

At Kamel Mennour, I loved again Tadashi Kawamata‘s “Tree Hut in Tremblay n°42,” a wooden model which characterizes his work. At Galleria Poggiali, Claudio Parmigginai’s smoke and soot on panel reminded me of Morandi. No wonder. He studied with the Italian painter as a young man… At galerie Mitterrand, Jean Gabriel’s son was explaining the genius of  Wallen Mapondera, an artist from Zimbabwe, who had great paper and cloth works.

Tadashi Kawamata, Tre hut in Tremblay n°42, 2020, Kamel Mennour

At Galerie Maria Lund, Peter Martensen, was showing black and white oils on canvas with Pernille Pontoppidan Pedersen‘s ceramics. Both are Danish. At Galerie Perrotin, Jr had a Hand#1, with which you were invited to take a selfie. And at Galerie Bigaignon, Leonie Alma Mason was showing her armchairs LOMM which are in the main gallery of 18 rue du Bourg Thibourg until April 15.

Odile Mir, Armchairs LOMM edited by Leonie Alma Mason

The most depressing moment of the fair was to walk into the former Galerie Claude Bernard, right in front of the entrance, which used to show the most superb Szafran, Truphémus, Valls, paintings. Since his death last November 16, his nephew has taken over and it’s not the same…

Jane Graverol, “Le Trait de Lumière”, sold at Bonhams on March 29 th for the record 579 975€

At Musée de Montmartre, “Surréalisme au Féminin” is disappointing. It will probably be very successful thanks to its title but with the exception of Mimi Parent, Meret Oppenheim, Dorothea Tanning and the well known photographer Lee Miller, there were no great surprises. On the 29 th at Bonhams though, a world record was set for a woman surrealist painting, Jane Graverol at 579 975€. The organizers of the show will probably have to revise their insurance policies…

The museum remains charming with its sunny garden and its permanent collection is well worth visiting on top of Montmartre… Until September 10.