Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Opera Program in Paris 2011-2012 2012-2013

The program looks as if it was tailored  for a yawny 1991-1992 season, and not 20 years later, but for those who see opera as a way to dwell in the past rather than embracing the present and /or future, the Paris Opera is a home for you.

Ceiling at Opéra Garnier in Paris -- a detail in which Marc Chagall painted the outside look of  Palais Garnier



Below you can also find the program of Opéra Comique (a.k.a. La Salle Favart)
See also links to the 2012-2013 program at La Salle Pleyel,  Cité de la musique (a.k.a. Cité μ),
Théâtre des Champs Elysées



See also links to the 2011-2012 program at La Salle Pleyel, Cité de la Musique and Théâtre des Champs Elysées


2012-2013







New productions:

October - November 2012: La fille du régiment [dir-Laurent Pelly, cnd- Marco Armiliato, cast: Juan Diego Florez,  Natalie Dessay & Désirée Rancatore, Felicity Lott, Alessandro Corbelli, Doris Lamprecht, Francis Dudziak] (purchased from the Wien Staatsoper & co)

December 2012: Carmen [dir- Yves Beaunesne, cnd- Philippe Jordan, cast: Karine Deshayes & Anna Caterina Antonacci, Ludovic Tézier, Nikolai Schukoff, Genia Kühmeier,...]

January - February 2013: L'Enfant et les sortilèges & Der Zwerg [dir- Richard Jones & Antony Mcdonald, cnd- Paul Daniel, cast: Charles Workman, Nicola Beller Carbone, Vincent Le Texier...]

April - May 2013: Hänsel und Gretel [dir- Mariame Clément, cnd- Claus Peter Flor, cast: Irmgard Vilsmaier, Andreas Conrad, Anna Catherine Gillet, Daniela Sindram ...]

May 2013: Gioconda [dir- Pier Luigi Pizzi (sic!), cnd- Daniel Oren, cast: Violeta Urmana, Luciana D'Intino, Marcelo Alvarez, Sergey Murzaev, Marie José Montiel, Orlin Anastassov] (purchased from Liceu)



Potentially Interesting Revivals:

September 2012: Capriccio [dir- Robert Carsen, cnd- Philippe Jordan, cast: Joseph Kaiser, Adrian Eröd, Michaela Kaune, Peter Rose...]

September - October 2012: Les contes d'Hoffmann [dir- Robert Carsen, cnd- Tomas Netopil, cast: Jane Archibald, Sophie Koch, Kate Aldrich, Ana Maria Martinez, Stefano Secco...]

October 2012: The Rake's Progress [dir- Olivier Py, cnd- Jeffrey Tate, cast: Charles Castronovo, Ekaterina Siurina, Gidon Saks, Jane Henschel, Scott Wilde, Kim Begley]

February - March 2013: Falstaff [dir- Dominique Pitoiset, cnd- Daniel Oren, cast: Ambrogio Maestri, Marie Nicole Lemieux, Artur Rucinski, Elena Tsallagova, Paolo Fanale, Svetla Vassileva...]

May - June 2013: Giulio Cesare [dir- Laurent Pelly, cnd Emmanuelle Haïm, cast: Lawrence Zazzo, Jane Archibald, Jarine Deshayes, Christophe Dumaux, Paul Gay, Varduhi Abramyan...]

January - February 2013: Khovanshchina [dir- Andrei Serban, cnd- Michail Jurowski, cast: Gleb Nikolsky, Vladimir Galuzin, Sergey Murzaev, Larissa Diadkova, Orlin Anastassov...]



Paris Ring  [dir- Günter Krämer, cnd- Philippe Jordan]

January - February 2013: Rheingold [cast: Thomas J. Mayer & Egil Silins, Peter Sidhom, Kim Begley, Wolfgang Ablinger-Spernhacke, Günther Groissböck, Sophie Koch, Bernard Richter, Samuel Youn, Lars Woldt...]

February - March 2012: Walküre [cast: Thomas J. Mayer & Egil Silins, Janice Baird & Alwyn Mellor, Martina Serafin, Stuart Skelton, Sophie Koch...]

March - April 2013: Siegfried [cast: Torsten Kerl, Wolfgang Ablinger-Spernhacke, Egils Silins, Peter Sidhom,Janice Baird, Robert Loyd, Qiu Lin Zhang]

March - April 2013: Götterdämmerung [cast: Torsten Kerl, Evgeny Nikitin,  Peter Sidhom, Janice Baird, Matti Salminen, Sophie Koch, ...]






Opéra Comique in Paris


New Productions:

December 2012: Limbus-Limbo (new opera by Stefano Gervasoni) [dir- Ingrid von Wantoch Rekowski, cnd- Jean-Paul Bernard, cast: Juliet Fraser, Christopher Field, Gareth John]


December 2012: Venus and Adonis (opera by John Blow) [dir- Louise Moat, cnd- Bertrand Cuiller, cast: Marc Mauillon, Céline Scheen]


January 2013: David et Jonathas (opera by M.-A. Charpentier) [dir- Andreas Homoki, cnd- William Christie (Arts Flo), cast: Pascal Charbonneau, Ana Quintas, Kresimir Spicer, Neal Davies, Dominique Visse...]


February 2013: Ciboulette (operette by Reynaldo Hahn) [dir- Michel Fau, cnd- Laurence Equilbey, cast: Julie Fuchs, Jean-François Lapointe...]


March 2013: La Voix Humaine [dir-Ludovic Lagarde, cnd- Pascal Raphé, cast: Anna Caterina Antonacci, Vittorio Prato]


April 2013: Cendrillon (opera by Pauline Viardot) [dir- Thierry Thieû Niang, cnd- Mireille Delunsch (sic!), cast: local]


May 2013: Mârouf (opera by Henri Rabaud) [dir- Jérôme Deschamps, cnd- Alain Altinoglu, cast: Jean-Sébastien Bou, Nathalie Manfrino, Nicolas Courjal, Doris Lamprecht...]


NB:
March 25, 2013: Le Roi d'Ys (in concert) [cnd- Jean-Luc Tingaud, cast: Sophie Koch, Julianna Di Giacomo, Ismael Jordi, Nicolas Cavalier, Franck Ferrari...]









2011-2012


Salomé [dir-André Engel, cnd-Pinchas Steinberg, cast: Angela Denoke, Stig Andersen, Juha Uusitalo, Doris Soffel...]

La Clemenza di Tito [dir- Willy Decker, cnd- Adam Fischer, cast: Klaus Florian Vogt, Hibla Gerzmava, Balint Szabo, Stéphanie D'Oustrac]

Faust [dir-Jean-Louis Martinoty, cnd-Alain Lombard, cast: Roberto Alagna, Paul Gay, Inva Mula...]

Tannhäuser [dir - Robert Carsen, cnd- Mark Elder, cast: Christopher Ventris, Nina Stemme, Steéphane Degout, Sophie Koch...]

Lulu [dir- Willy Decker, cnd-Michael Schonwandt, cast: Laura Aikin, Jennifer Larmore, Vincent Le Texier,...]

La Forza del destino [dir0 Jean-Claude Auvrey, cnd-Philippe Jordan, cast: Violeta Urmana, Marcelo Alvarez, Zoran Todorovich, Nadia Krasteva, Kwangchul Youn...]

La cenerentola [dir- Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, cnd- Bruno Campanella, cast: Karine Deshayes, Alex Esposito, Javier Camarena...]

Manon [dir-Coline Serreau, cnd-Evelino Pido, cast: Natalie Dessay, Giuseppe Filianoti ...]

The Queen of Spades [dir- Lev Dodin, cnd-Dmitri Jurowski, cast: Vladimir Galouzine, Evgeny Nikitin, Ludovic Tézier, Olga Guryakova...]

La cerisaie [dir-Georges Lavaudant, cnd-Tito Ceccherini, cast: Elena Kelessidi...]

Rigoletto [dir-Jérôme Savary, cnd- Daniele Callegari, cast: Piotr Beczala, Zeljko Lucic, Nino Machaidze, Dimitry Ivashchenko...]

Pelléas et Mélisande [dir-Robert Wilson, cnd-Philippe Jordan, cast: Stéphane Degout, Elena Tsallagova, Vincent Le Texier...]

Die lustige Witwe [dir- Jeorge Lavelli, cnd- Asher Fisch, cast: Bo Skovhus, Susan Graham, Daniel Behle, Ana Maria Labin...]

Don Giovanni [dir-Michael Haneke , cnd-Philippe Jordan, cast: Patricia Petibon, Peter Mattei, Saimir Pirgu, Véronique Gens, David Bizic...]

Cav/Pag [dir-Giancarlo del Monaco, cnd- Daniel Oren, cast: Violeta Urmana, Marcello Giordani... Inva Mula, Florian Laconi, Vladimir Galouzine, Sergey Murzaev]

Il barbiere di Siviglia [dir-Coline Serreau, cnd- Marco Armiliato, cast: Karine Deshayes, Antonino Siragusa, Tassis Christoyannis...]

Hyppolyte et Aricie [dir-Ivan Alexandre, cnd-Emmanuelle Haïm, cast: Sarah Connolly, Anne-Catherine Gillet, Topi Lehtipu, Stéphane Degout...]

Arabella [dir-Marco Arturo Marelli, cnd-Philippe Jordan, cast: Renée Fleming, Kurt Rydl,Michael Volle, Joseph Kaiser, Julia Kleiter...]

L'amour des trois oranges [dir-Gilbert Deflo, cnd-Alain Altinouglou, cast: Charles Workman, Vincent Le Texier, Andreas Conrad...]







  • Jan 2012: Amadis de Gaule [dir- Marcel Bozonnet, cnd-Jérémie Rhorer, cast: Philippe Do, Hélène Guilmette, Christine RIce, Franco Pomponi...]
  • Feb 2012: Egisto [dir- Benjamin Lazar, cnd- Vincent Dumestre, cast: Anders Dahlin, Marc Mauillon, Cyril Auvity, Isabelle Druet]
  • Mar 2012: Dido and Aeneas (revival of the brilliant Deborah Warner production with Les Arts Florissants), cnd- William Christie, cast: Malena Ernman, Judith Van Wanroij, Lina Makerby, Hillary Summers]
  • Apr 2012: La Muette de Portici [dir- Emma Dante, cnd- Patrick Davin, cast: Maxim Mironov, Eglise Gutierrez, Elena Borgogni, Laurent Alvaro...]
  • May 2012: Re Orso [dir- Richard Brunel, cnd- Susanna Mälkki, cast: Brian Asawa, Monica Bacelli, Marisol Montalvo, Alexander Kravets...]
  • Jun 2012: Les Pêcheurs des perles [dir- Yoshi Oida, cnd- Leo Hussain, cast: Sonya Yoncheva, Dmitri Korchak, André Heyboer, Nicolas Testé]  Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France  and Chœur Accentus

20 comments:

  1. Tannhäuser, Rigoletto and Hyppolite et Aricie are the most appealing casts...

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  2. Hi Mei. I don't think any cast is mediocre or bad. It'slike at the Met. Wonderful singers singing in lousy productions most of the time. OK there are always 1-2 shows/season that are good, but this must be the most conservative season in Paris since decades...

    Oh well! Let's hope Madrid will have a good next season :)

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  3. Interesting that a season that includes Salome, Lulu, Pelléas et Mélisande, La cerisaie, Arabella, and L'amour des trois oranges is now considered to "dwell in the past rather than embracing the present or future." Opera aficianados of the U.S. might not recognize even the composer's name (Philippe Fénelon) of La cerisaie, much less this most recent work. But your essential point is indeed true: the schedule explores little new ground in its repertoire, and the casting depends greatly on recognized names.

    Thanks for the summary, though.

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  4. Hi Tom! All these productions are old and their original directors are not invited to supervise the revivals, which is probably a reason why all Willy Decker's shows in Paris sank, during the last year and a half.

    Arabella is a tired Strauss (like Intermezzo).


    One more important parameter: La Cenerentola is a "new" production at the Paris Opera, while in fact it is the one by Ponnelle premiered in 1972 in Munich/La Scala. What's the point in re-creating the ancient productions if not a desire/statement to dwell in the past?

    Del Monaco again! Every year one of his shabby mess/shows is landing to Bastille. This time it is another of his old productions --already presented in many difft European cities-- that come to Paris with a tag "new production"...

    As for Fénelon, his 'Faust' was on the program last year and it was pretty bad a show. Are there any other contemporary operatic composers? Thierry Pécou anyone?!

    With that being said, almost all the casts are very well composed. However, that alone cannot make me decide to pay the steeply priced tickets to see brainless/static shows.

    There are other things in life :)

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  5. That Hyppolite et Aricie sounds amazing. I loved what Ivan Alexandre had to say about baroque in the Minkowski documentary (available on YT).

    I heard in a French radio show that Anne Sofie von Otter will sing Clairon in Cappriccio, but that must be 12/13 season. There's already that Carsen DVD that was recorded at Palais Garnier, so I hope they plan something very different.

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  6. I`m really interested in Arabella.Beside the production I think Jordan-Fleming-Volle is a wonderful trip for an opera of such quality rarely performed at home,in Barcelona.It is just astonishig in these days to present a revival of a production of 1972! But there are also very interesting revivals of Robert Carsen's Tannhauser and Michael Haneke's Don Giovanni.But I agree with you that in general is a conservative season without attractive risks.

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  7. As a New Yorker who must fly to Europe for any decent opera productions, it's dismaying to see such a dull season announcement from Paris -- which makes even the Met seem adventurous (productions by Deborah Warner, David Alden, and Tcherniakov are on the slate for future seasons) in comparison to this hopelessly conservative roster of productions. I do think that Carsen's production of Tannhauser is by far the best I've seen of that piece, so I may come for that, but otherwise, I'll be taking refuge in Amsterdam, Berlin, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Dresden . . .

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  8. It seems the whole world is engulfed in conservatism these days..."risks" as policy have completely failed us and so it seems it must be reflected in art.

    Though, if I had the dough, I would not miss that Don Giovanni.

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  9. Where's the Oedipe that Nicolas Joel has promised - and which was one of his greatest successes of his Toulouse tenure! Those of us whoc want to hear Enescu's masterpiece need to travel to Bruxelles where La Monnaie will show it next year. Or to Liceu in Barcelona or even to Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires for futuire seasons.

    Please Monsieur Joel, keep your promise! Give us the Oedipe, which belongs back to Palais Garnier.

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  10. Hi Definitely, that production of Capriccio by Carsen is excellent and if they decide to revive that I wouldn't mind. And yes, Hyppolite et Aricie is not a new production but the one presented in Toulouse a few years ago.

    dandini, it's actually worse. It is not a simple revival. That production has NEVER been shown at the Paris Opera. It will be the Paris premiere of a production premiered elsewhere 40 years ago, and available on DVD since many years.
    As for Arabella, I think if you didn't see (listened to) it you should give it a try, but dramatically it was interesting at the time of its creation, but today it's tired.

    Ano-1: 100% agree with you :)
    BTW, Don Giovanni by Michael Haneke should be great too.

    Schmup53, you rock! That's a very good point, and if that was a rationale behind the Met's conservatism I wouldn't say a thing.
    The Paris Opera instead is very generously subsidized by the gvt (tax-payers) and occasional adventures into art-zone should be almost mandatory. Paris opera should have its own character and not copying others in killing everything that is supposed to be a creation and art. Art thrives on change...

    Don Giovanni is a revival, but at least there are two revivals (DG & Tannh) that are not shabby, so I take them ;)

    My point is that the Paris Opera in 2011-2012 will create nothing artistically relevant, and that's sad considering that only 2-3 years ago there were at least 2 innovative & highly interesting productions/season.

    Ano-2: Let's wait and see the content of the 2011-2012 season at La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels.

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  11. From London -
    I've seen the Haneke Don Giovanni and loved it. Mattei is amazing. Well worth seeing.

    I tried to see the Tannhauser first time around in Paris - but a strike meant we did not see the full production. I'm definitely going to go this time and such a great cast.

    I saw the Carsen / Fleming / Von Otter / Finley Capriccio when it was new. One of the most glorious evenings in theatre I have ever had.

    Might pop over for the Arabella with Fleming in the summer. The last one in Paris with Matilla and Bonney at the Chatelet was fantastic.

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  12. I must say we made our subscription choices this evening with very little enthusiasm. We now have to look, as you rightly say, to La Monnaie, but also probably to the Opéra Comique.

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  13. Also, not pleased to see an "Optima" category now turning up at the Bastille.

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  14. It resembles a slightly more interesting version of what we might have to put up with at Covent Garden... And of all the Strauss operas, Arabella may well be the least interesting.

    By the way, I cannot understand Tom G's comment re the past. Most of those works are around a century old, some more so. Imagine Mahler considering it an avant-garde act to stage 'Fidelio'...

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  15. You may be right about Arabella. I certainly tend to forget it exists.

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  16. I quite agree, I'll be glad to see Don Giovanni and a couple of other operas (like the old Barbiere that I happen to like), but that's it...

    Opéra Comique has been doing increasingly good shows and is definitely worth looking at, especially since Fairy Queen, Betrothal (ok, this one came from Toulouse, but still) and Cendrillon, to name a few.

    I'm also waiting for the new season at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, as they now have much more new productions (and almost no revivals) with rather interesting directors, although I cannot say I liked Orlando Furioso.

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  17. I now subscribe to the ONP, the Opéra Comique and La Monnaie (having given up on the Châtelet three or four years back). But this season for the ONP we've just taken GM and will buy anything else we fancy as hoc - we didn't like not being able to "panacher" seat categories, so we'll do it ourselves for the rest.

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  18. I like Patricia Petibon but casting her as Donna Anna at the Bastille is a vocal murder (or suicide) ...although rumors of mikes might help her ...

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