L’essentiel Pelléas et Mélisande de Wajdi Mouawad à Bastille

Pelléas et Mélisande à l'Opéra Bastille

By Tristan Labouret, 02 March 2025

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“Ce soir, Pelléas s’est avéré une de ces œuvres-mondes dont on ne ressort pas indemne”

Reviewed at Opéra national de Paris: Opéra Bastille, Paris on 28 February 2025

Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande

Opéra national de Paris

Antonello Manacorda, Conductor

Wajdi Mouawad, Director

Emmanuel Clolus, Set Designer

Emmanuelle Thomas, Costume Designer

Eric Champoux, Lighting Designer

Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris

Chœurs de l'Opéra national de Paris

Stéphanie Jasmin, Video

Sabine Devieilhe, Mélisande

Huw Montague Rendall, Pelléas

Gordon Bintner, Golaud

Jean Teitgen, Arkel

Sophie Koch, Geneviève

Amin Ahangaran, Shepherd, A Doctor

Anne-Blanche Trillaud Ruggeri, Yniold

Chœur d'enfants de l'Opéra National de Paris

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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Tristan Labouret

Musicologue diplômé du CNSMD de Paris, Tristan Labouret collabore avec de nombreux artistes et institutions musicales (Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre national d'Île-de-France, Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier, festivals de musique de chambre de Deauville, Just Classik Festival…), menant des activités de médiation à destination de tous les publics. Ex-altiste toujours passionné par les répertoires chambristes et symphoniques, il occupe depuis 2018 le poste de rédacteur en chef de la partie francophone de Bachtrack.