Opéra de Paris | News Music & Opera

Sabine Devieilhe Lets Her Long Hair Fall from the Tower!

admin_mowp — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:17:14 +0000

Premiered in Paris at the Opéra Comique on April 30, 1902, Claude Debussy’s masterpiece Pelléas et Mélisande took several decades to enter the repertoire of the Opéra national de Paris, debuting there on March 18, 1977. Similarly, Sabine Devieilhe has waited before taking on this iconic role in a staged production.

Having already performed it in concert, the divine soprano will finally grace the stage as Mélisande in a new production at France’s premier opera house, running from February 28 to March 27, 2025. This much-anticipated event marks the return of celebrated theater director Wajdi Mouawad to the Opéra Bastille, following his acclaimed staging of Enescu’s Œdipe. Special care has been taken with the cast surrounding Sabine Devieilhe: the dazzling young baritone Huw Montague Rendall, a rising star, will portray Pelléas, with Gordon Bintner as Golaud, alongside Sophie Koch and Jean Teitgen as Geneviève and Arkel.

To see the opera, click here!

Sabine Devieilhe – c – Anna Dabrowska

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The flu epidemic in France even affects the gods!

admin_mowp — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 15:43:35 +0000

One of the major highlights of the season at the Opéra National de Paris was the debut of Ludovic Tézier as Wotan in Das Rheingold, the first installment of the new Ring cycle directed by Calixto Bieito.

Unfortunately, the greatest baritone of his generation is suffering from the flu, which prevents him from attending all the necessary rehearsals for this role debut. From January 29 to February 19, 2025, Iain Paterson will replace the god Wotan for all performances at the Opéra Bastille.

To see Ludovic Tézier in other roles this year, visit our website

Ludovic Tézier – c – Gregor Hohenberg

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Opéra national de Paris – Opéra Bastille 2024-2025

admin_mowp — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 08:00:23 +0000

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

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Opéra national de Paris – Palais Garnier 2024-2025

admin_mowp — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:00:32 +0000

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 now rejoice in finding the great institution that everyone admires, especially with José Martínez, the impeccable director of dance. With his international stature, he offers relevant choices for dance, with some new opportunities for the Étoiles, Premières Danseuses, Premiers Danseurs, and the ballet corps of the Opera. It is now traditional for the Palais Garnier to host dance performances as well as some opera productions. The legendary venue is, of course, open for visits, but nothing replaces the experience of a live performance.

On the ballet side, it’s a true celebration with a repertoire festival. Masterpieces of the white ballet such as Tchaikovsky‘s The Sleeping Beauty by Rudolf Nureyev or Pierre Lacotte’s Paquita are mostly at the Opéra Bastille, but the Palais Garnier also includes great classical dance masterpieces in its 2024-2025 ballet season. Classical dance returns with strength in the programming with works like Onegin, the masterpiece of the great choreographer John Cranko. Aficionados will also not want to miss Sylvia, and should book their tickets early! Set to the music of the highly esteemed Léo Delibes, Sylvia is the very first ballet created at the Palais Garnier, which will be presented in the version by Manuel Legris, a famous Étoile dancer of the Paris National Opera and now the renowned director of the La Scala Ballet in Milan. This addition to the repertoire is an event. Other shows that quickly sell out include the season‘s Gala with the Ballet parade, as well as the Demonstrations and the Dance School Show, which are doubled by two exceptional performances. The first unites Maurice Béjart, August Bournonville, and Antony Tudor, while the second features the prestigious names of choreographers William Forsythe and Johan Inger. Throughout the rich 2024-2025 season, dance and ballet enthusiasts will flock to evenings where the new generation meets more established choreographers. Mats Ek’s brilliant Appartement is paired with Sharon Eyal’s OCD Love. All ballet lovers await the creation of the brilliant Hofesh Shechter, and those who have not yet seen it will benefit from the revival to buy their tickets to see the delightful Play by Alexander Ekman, a must-see. Speaking of essentials, Mayerling, the absolute classic masterpiece by choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, will undoubtedly bring a few tears, especially when performed by the Paris National Opera Ballet, one of the most prestigious companies in the world.

Also noteworthy, the chamber music concerts offered by members of the Paris National Opera Orchestra always enjoy great success. Recitals make a notable return to the Palais Garnier.

Music lovers who are fond of great voices will book their seats in advance to not miss the recitals of Benjamin Bernheim, the greatest French tenor of his generation, or the sublime Elina Garanca in French and international melodies. Two great stars are making their return to Garnier, Natalie Dessay and Renée Fleming, an event! Among the new opera productions at the Palais Garnier, there will be laughter with the comic opera that opens the season. Offenbach‘s The Brigands is directed by Barrie Kosky, who has brightened the nights of the Komische Oper in Berlin with his whimsy. The superb cast motivates reservations. What promises to be the season’s great success is almost sold out for the fall of 2024 but will fortunately be revived at the end of the season. One of the most anticipated opera performances at the Palais Garnier for the 2024-2025 season is Rameau’s Castor and Pollux, bringing together a perfect cast with Reinoud Van Mechelen, Marc Mauillon, Jeanine De Bique, and Stéphanie d’Oustrac under the expert direction of the brilliant Teodor Currentzis. This superb baroque opera is eagerly awaited by all specialists. Another anticipated production is the revival of Stravinsky‘s The Rake’s Progress, a chance to rediscover the incredible world of Olivier Py, who delivers a great spectacle here. The story of the Faust myth revisited is embodied by young and very great voices to discover urgently (Golda Schultz and Ben Bliss).

The last events of the 2024-2025 season at the Palais Garnier are exceptional concerts. A concert of the Rolex Ambassadors brings together Sonya Yoncheva, Juan Diego Flórez, Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazón, Yuja Wang, and the musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic, while the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier will be celebrated with a gala featuring Lisette Oropesa and Ludovic Tézier. One must rush to get available tickets as the event is significant!

Get your tickets now for the new 2024-2025 season at the Palais Garnier

© Opéra national de Paris website

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Don Quichotte turns Bastille upside down

admin_mowp — Fri, 03 May 2024 08:00:46 +0000

Don Quichotte, the last opera composed by Jules Massenet, will return to the Opéra national de Paris from 10 May to 11 June 2024, after a 20-year absence. Damiano Michieletto‘s new production of Don Quichotte at the Opéra Bastille has been through quite a few upheavals. After the defection of Ildar Abdrazakov and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, who were due to alternate in the title role, there was another change of cast. Gaëlle Arquez now performs as La Belle Dulcinée in place of Marianne Crebassa for all performances, while Christian Van Horn and Gábor Bretz take it in turns to conquer the windmills.

Discover Don Quichotte at the Opéra national de Paris

Don Quichotte © OnP

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Thomas Hengelbrock even more Parisian

admin_mowp — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 09:00:16 +0000

As he prepares to conduct the revival of Verdi‘s Simon Boccanegra (at the Opéra national de Paris from 12 March to 3 April 2024, directed by Calixto Bieito) with the exceptional Ludovic Tézier, eagerly awaited in the title role, conductor Thomas Hengelbrock has been appointed Music Director of the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. The famous Parisian orchestra, which has been in mourning since the death of Lars Vogt, now has a new major figure in its ranks. Familiar with the capital, Hengelbrock is the founder of the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble.

Discover the revival of Simon Boccanegra featuring Thomas Hengelbrock

Thomas Hengelbrock © Mina Esfandiari

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Adrienne Lecouvreur, more celebrated than ever in Paris

admin_mowp — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 09:00:29 +0000

The great tragedienne Adrienne Lecouvreur inspired an opera, Adriana Lecouvreur, Cilea‘s masterpiece, which is set to delight the Parisian stage. While the actress will be played by Anna Netrebko and Anna Pirozzi in alternation from 16 January to 7 February 2024 at the Opéra national de Paris, a concert version is performed at the Théâtre de Champs-Elysées on Tuesday 5 December 2023. Tamara Wilson and Brian Jagde will be the lovers thwarted by Clémentine Margaine, the wicked (and impressive) Princesse de Bouillon. The Orchestre & Chœurs de l’Opéra de Lyon are conducted by Daniele Rustioni, current Music Director of the Opera House in Lyon.

Find all the performances of Adriana Lecouvreur

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Pretty Yende joins Maria Callas

admin_mowp — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:00:15 +0000

Although her name does not yet appear officially on the Opéra national de Paris website, Pretty Yende will be on stage at the Palais Garnier for the special gala tribute to Maria Callas on 2 December 2023, the hundredth anniversary of her birth. From a stage to the other, from 30 November to 27 December 2023, the superb soprano will be at the Opéra Bastille as Olympia, the nymphomaniac doll in Robert Carsen‘s legendary production of Offenbach‘s Les Contes d’Hoffmann.

Discover Pretty Yende all around Europe here

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Voix des Outre-mer on the road again !

admin_mowp — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 08:00:58 +0000

A last-minute change of venue did not prevent the Voix des Outre-mer Ile-de-France final (originally scheduled to take place at the Ile-de-France region headquarters in Saint-Ouen) from taking place. As the Ile-de-France regional executive was forced to cancel all the events scheduled for the evening of 3 July 2023, the candidates, members of the jury and all the organisers were hosted behind closed doors in a rehearsal room in the basement of the Opéra Bastille. Thanks to social networks, the event was followed by spectators who had stayed at home. For this new session, 15 candidates competed brilliantly.

Winona Berry, a young mezzo from Saint-Barthélemy, won first prize with flying colours, singing Stéphano’s aria “Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle”, taken from Roméo et Juliette (Gounod’s opera was performed the same evening, a few floors up, in the Bastille’s main auditorium). Representing Martinique, Julienne Mahailet took second prize by performing Gershwin’s famous ‘Summertime’, while Alice Ferrière (La Réunion) won third prize with her perilous aria ‘Amour viens rendre à mon âme’ (Gluck/Berlioz). A mention of encouragement was awarded to Hereiti and Laura Suire. The Tahitian twins performed a charming barcarolle from Offenbach’s Contes d’Hoffmann. As the Voix des Outre-mer competition is open to all talents, Guynel Eliza (Martinique) won the ‘C’est pas classique’ prize. Two other winners were awarded the Prix Amis des Voix des Outre-mer (Christiane Eda-Pierre Prize), honouring the talents of Korean soprano Sang Ah Yoon (second nominee) and Fanny Valentin (first nominee), a stratospheric soprano who sang the first aria from The Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute, Mozart).

The first of the finals launches the sixth edition of the Voix des Outre-mer competition, which will culminate at the Paris Opéra on 23 February 2024.

The competition’s broadcast here

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Bryn Terfel, Hispanic French Hungarian Welsh

admin_mowp — Wed, 17 May 2023 08:00:41 +0000

As it sometimes does for dance companies, the Opéra national de Paris is preparing to host Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu on 10 June 2023. Josep Pons, music director of the Liceu orchestra, will conduct a concert version of Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle. After his Barone Scarpia in Tosca in 2022, the famous Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel returns to the Opéra Bastille where he was an unforgettable Don Giovanni, Falstaff, Devils in Les Contes d’Hoffmann or Mephistopheles in The Damnation with Jonas Kaufmann.

Your tickets for Bryn Terfel here

(c) Deutsche Grammophon

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