Les Indes galantes: with Alarcón, Rameau conquers the Bastille

Les Indes galantes at Opéra Bastille, with the dance company Rualité

Sabine Devieilhe (Hébé, Phani, Zima)

Jodie Devos (L'Amour, Zaïre) and Julie Fuchs (Émilie, Fatime)

By Philippe Ramin, 30 September 2019

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“Tonight, the truth is in the beauty”

Reviewed at Opéra national de Paris: Opéra Bastille, Paris on 28 September 2019

Rameau, Les Indes galantes

Opéra national de Paris

Leonardo García-Alarcón, Conductor

Clément Cogitore, Director

Alban Ho Van, Set Designer

Tim Van Steenbergen, Costume Designer

Sabine Devieilhe, Hébé, Phani, Zima

Florian Sempey, Bellone, Adario

Jodie Devos, L' Amour, Zaïre

Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Osman, Ali

Julie Fuchs, Émilie, Fatime

Mathias Vidal, Valère, Tacmas

Alexandre Duhamel, Huascar, Don Alvar

Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Don Carlos, Damon

Chœur de chambre de Namur

Cappella Mediterranea

Sylvain Verdet, Lighting Designer

Bintou Dembélé, Choreography

Rualité

Pomp meets ping-pong: Nixon in China lands again in Paris

David Karlin, 14th March

Excellent vocal acting from Thomas Hampson, Renée Fleming, Xiaomeng Zhang and a magnificent orchestral performance conducted by Kent Nagano can't make Valentina Carrasco's production fully grip.

***11

Thomas Adès’ high-flying Exterminating Angel in Paris

Erwan Gentric, 29th February

The French premiere of the British composer's opera will be the undisputed high point of the Grande Boutique's season: a perfect confluence of music, staging and cast.

*****

Shock and awe in Paris with Bernstein's A Quiet Place

David Karlin, 9th March

In the expert hands of both director Warlikowski and conductor Kent Nagano, the sequel to Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti proves to be even darker and more dramatic.

*****

A long road to nowhere for Igor at the Bastille

Mark Pullinger, 1st December

Barrie Kosky's makes a limited impact in his debut at Opéra de Paris, apart from an hallucinogenic Polovtsian Dances.

***11

Don Giovanni according to Ivo van Hove: a puritan despite himself?

Pierre Liscia-Beaurenaut, 16th June

Don Giovanni returns to the Palais Garnier. The production by Ivo van Hove lacks energy but is wonderfully served by a cast of great young talents.

***11

Carthage carnage: Tcherniakov's Trojans flops at the Bastille

Mark Pullinger, 25th January

Tcherniakov reduces Berlioz' epic to little more than Circle Time therapy, a poor way to mark the composer's anniversary year.

**111

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Philippe Ramin

Claveciniste formé auprès de Béatrice Berstel et Christophe Rousset à Paris et de Jesper Christensen à la Schola Cantorum de Bâle, Philippe Ramin a été accompagnateur au Centre de Musique Ancienne de Tours et au Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, tout en jouant avec diverses formations de la scène baroque : « l’Eclat des Muses », l’ensemble « XVIII-21 le Baroque Nomade » ainsi que la Maîtrise de Radio France avec Sofi Jeannin. Critique musical à Répertoire puis à Diapason depuis 2000, il enseigne actuellement le clavecin, la basse continue et la musique de chambre au Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental d’Évry.