Lurching gear changes mar Bychkov's Dvořák at the Festival Ravel

Semyon Bychkov conducts the Paris Opera Orchestra

Semyon Bychkov and the Paris Opera Orchestra in the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste

By Mark Valencia, 04 September 2023

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“his tempo choices swayed like corn in the breeze, rarely stable... never predictable”

Reviewed at Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint-Jean-de-Luz on 31 August 2023

Dvořák, Carnival Overture, Op.92

Dvořák, In Nature's Realm (V prírode) Overture, Op.91

Dvořák, Symphony no. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", Op.95

Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris

Semyon Bychkov, Conductor

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

Paris Opera Ballet: a superlative Mayerling

Naomi Mori, 6th November

Paris Opera Ballet has triumphantly revived Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, two years after its company premiere in 2022.

****1

La Fille mal gardée in Paris could offer more spark and animation

Jonathan Gray, 15th March

Paris Opera Ballet tackles a British classic with aplomb but needs to delve deeper into the quintessentially British humour and charm.

****1

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.

*****

Opéra de Paris pays vibrant tribute to Patrick Dupond

Laurine Mortha, 23rd February

Two years after the death of Patrick Dupond, the Paris Opera Ballet paid tribute to him in a sumptuous gala evening, with the procession of the Ballet’s stars and the the performance of three of Dupond’s most emblematic works.

*****

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.

*****

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Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.