Andromaque, Grétry...

I already mentioned here André Grétry, an 18th century Belgian-born French composer, who's sometimes called le Mozart français -- sort of equivalent to what's Vicente Martín y Soler in Spain. Grétry was also known as Marie-Antoinette's personal fave.

This year, Opéra Comique in Paris produced one Grétry's opera, and quite honestly, I wasn't impressed at all. I guess I expected too much after having listened to his other opera called Andromaque, in October 2009 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. I liked Andromaque because the music was pretty and interesting, the story pushed me to read more carefully the equally named tragedy by Jean Racine, on which the opera is based (wiki summary can be found here)... so the whole experience was enriching. In contrario, L'amant jaloux was a silly bore ;)

"La douleur d'Andromaque" (1783) by Jacques Louis David, Louvre (Paris)*

Now, almost the same production team who performed that Andromaque in concert in October 2009, directed by Georges Lavaudant, supplemented a scenic part and the full opera was presented  at the festival in Schwetzingen (Germany) in April 2010. The same show now arrived to Montpellier (South of France), where it was premiered last night...

Off night for Offenbach

The entire crew involved in  Marthaler/Niquet production of "La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein", premiered in Basle last December, came to Pleyel tonight to give us a concert version  of their show (in costumes).

From right to left: Norman Reinhardt, Anne Sofie von Otter, Agata Wilewska

Hervé Niquet : conductor
Anne Sofie von Otter : la Grande-Duchesse
Agata Wilewska : Wanda
Norman Reinhardt : Fritz
Rolf Romei : Prince Pauld
Karl-Heinz Brandt : Baron Puck
Christoph Homberger  : Général Boum

Anne Sofie von Otter is always kinda nice to see but she struggled through the show, with a few patches in which she was barely audible. And that in spite of Niquet taming the orchestra to play Offenbach pianissimo (how weird is that!?)

Agata Wilewska was OK, but I was only impressed by Norman Reinhardt (yet another good American tenor!). Bravo a Fritz! :)