Chéreau vit encore : l'Opéra Bastille consacre De la maison des morts

By Suzanne Lay-Canessa, 20 November 2017

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“le théâtre où éclatent la violence, la frustration mais aussi le désir de transfiguration”

Reviewed at Opéra national de Paris: Opéra Bastille, Paris on 18 November 2017

Janáček, From the House of the Dead

Opéra national de Paris

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor

Patrice Chéreau, Director

Richard Peduzzi, Set Designer

Caroline de Vivaise, Costume Designer

Eric Stoklossa, Aljeja

Peter Straka, Big prisoner/Nikita

Štefan Margita, Luka Kuzmič (Filka Morozov)

Peter Hoare, Šapkin

Ladislav Elgr, Skuratov

Jiří Sulženko, Prison governor

Peter Mattei, Šiškov

Vladimir Chmelo, Small prisoner

Sir Willard White, Alexandr Petrovič Gorjančikov

Chœurs de l'Opéra national de Paris

Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris

Aleš Jenis, Baritone

Ján Galla, Bass-baritone

Martin Bárta, Baritone

Olivier Dumait, Tenor

Susannah Haberfeld, Mezzo-soprano

Marian Pavlovic, Tenor

Andreas Conrad, Tenor

Graham Clark, Tenor

Peter McClintock, Director

Vincent Huguet, Director

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

Les Indes galantes: with Alarcón, Rameau conquers the Bastille

Philippe Ramin, 28th September

The new production of Les Indes galantes at Opéra Bastille is exceptional, from the vocal cast to the choreography by Bintou Dembélé. But the stand-out performance of the evening comes from conductor Leonardo Garcia Alarcón.

*****

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

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Suzanne Lay-Canessa

Docteure en littérature comparée, passionnée de langues, Suzanne a consacré sa thèse de doctorat à Jean-Sébastien Bach. Elle enseigne le français, la littérature et l’histoire de l’Opéra à l’Institute for American Universities et à Sciences Po Aix. Collaboratrice régulière du journal Zibeline, elle publie dans les rubriques Musiques, Livres, Cinéma, Spectacle vivant et Arts Visuels.