L'ennui au musée : Aida à l'Opéra Bastille

By Stéphane Lelièvre, 19 February 2021

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“l’émotion est précisément la grande absente du spectacle”

Reviewed at Opéra national de Paris: Opéra Bastille, Paris on 19 February 2021

Verdi, Aida

Opéra national de Paris

Michele Mariotti, Conductor

Lotte de Beer, Director

Christof Hetzer, Set Designer

Jorine van Beek, Costume Designer

Alex Brok, Lighting Designer

Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris

Chœurs de l'Opéra national de Paris

Ksenia Dudnikova, Amneris

Sondra Radvanovsky, Aida

Jonas Kaufmann, Radamès

Ludovic Tézier, Amonasro

Soloman Howard, King of Egypt

Dmitry Belosselskiy, Ramfis

Gabriella Reyes, Priestess

Alessandro Liberatore, A messenger

Jose Luis Basso, Choirmaster / chorus 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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Stéphane Lelièvre

Stéphane Lelièvre est maître de conférences en littérature comparée. Il est responsable de l’équipe « Littérature et musique » du Centre de Recherche en Littérature Comparée à la Faculté des Lettres de Sorbonne Universités. Spécialiste des romantismes allemand et français, il s’intéresse d’une manière générale aux liens entre les lettres et la musique, et donc particulièrement à l’opéra.