Alexander Neef, director of the Paris National Opera, has crafted a 2024-2025 season that now defines his artistic policy. Between new creations, heritage works, and major revivals, music lovers can look forward to rediscovering the great institution that garners admiration from all, especially with José Martínez, the impeccable dance director. With his international stature, he offers pertinent choices for dance with some new offerings for the Étoiles, Premières Danseuses, Premiers Danseurs, and the corps de ballet of the Opera. While emblematic ballets grace the Bastille stage, it is primarily the operas that are eagerly anticipated there, as nothing can replace the experience of a live performance, especially regarding lyrical and choreographic shows.
For ballet, it is indeed at the Palais Garnier that we will admire great titles like Onegin, the masterpiece by the great choreographer John Cranko, or Sylvia in Manuel Legris‘s new classical choreography, and the moving Mayerling by Kenneth MacMillan. Garnier will also host the magnificent choreographers of the season: Maurice Béjart, William Forsythe, Mats Ek, Sharon Eyal, Hofesh Shechter, and Alexander Ekman, not to be missed. However, the grand stage of the Opéra Bastille welcomes two absolute masterpieces of white ballet with Paquita by Pierre Lacotte for the 2024 year-end holidays and the immortal Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky. With choreography by Rudolf Nureyev, these are two shows that must be seen at least once in a lifetime. It is highly recommended to book these dance shows as soon as possible because demand is always very high for the Paris Opera Ballet.
Alexander Neef marks this 2024-2025 season at the Opéra Bastille with originality. As he did with Beatrice di Tenda or La Vestale last season, long-forgotten great titles return, such as Castor et Pollux by Rameau or Les Brigands by Offenbach, which are on the bill at the Palais Garnier. The new productions at Bastille are particularly anticipated, notably Puccini’s Il Trittico. Three operas in one evening to move from laughter to tears with a major international star finally on the bill at the Paris National Opera. The well-known soprano Asmik Grigorian will draw crowds, and it is best to book tickets in advance to avoid missing the event. Another new production will make a big splash this 2024-2025 season. One of the greatest events of the season is undoubtedly Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, with staging by the well-known theater director Wajdi Mouawad. The cast is exceptional, featuring the incandescent Sabine Devieilhe in one of her greatest roles, the superb Huw Montague Rendall (also Gordon Bintner, Sophie Koch, and Jean Teitgen) with direction by the exciting conductor Antonello Manacorda. Although we always lament the incomprehensible absence of Karine Deshayes at the peak of her vocal powers, many French colleagues are on the bill, such as Ludovic Tézier. One of the greatest baritones of his generation, he is a regular at Bastille, but this time he embodies his very first Wotan in Das Rheingold, the first episode of a long-announced tetralogy finally on the bill! (tickets to be reserved as soon as possible).
By inviting great French opera stars, Alexander Neef has undoubtedly learned the lesson of the immortal Régine Crespin, who was celebrated everywhere else in her time except on the stage of the Paris National Opera. Do not miss the invaluable Julie Fuchs and the boisterous Lawrence Brownlee and Lionel Lhote in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment, with two other adored stars, Susan Graham and Felicity Lott, in Laurent Pelly’s perfect production. Opera tickets will quickly be snapped up to see Roberto Alagna or Benjamin Bernheim as Chevalier Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon. The greatest tenors of their generation have partners like Amina Edris and Nadine Sierra. There are many eventful operas this season at the Opéra Bastille because among the revivals, there is, for example, Bellini’s I Puritani with a dream cast (Lisette Oropesa and Lawrence Brownlee). Ambrogio Maestri is an invaluable Falstaff to see absolutely, as is Pene Pati in this very successful production of Faust (Tobias Kratzer); as we can see, the great voices are well represented at Bastille with also the splendid soprano Elena Stikhina in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, celebrated in 2024 for this anniversary season. Verdi’s Don Carlos is worth seeing for its exceptional cast as the greatest artists are gathered, including Charles Castronovo, Marina Rebeka, Ekaterina Gubanova, and Christian Van Horn. There is no shortage of opportunities to book seats at the Paris National Opera this 2024-2025 season, which promises to be truly magnificent.
Book your tickets now for the new 2024-2025 season at the Opéra Bastille
© Christian Leiber
