Purcell and Charpentier double bill in Paris

By Edward Sava-Segal, 04 October 2016

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“Vivica Genaux... a veritable tragedienne”

Reviewed at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris on 1 October 2016

Purcell, Dido and Aeneas (Concert performance)

Charpentier, Actéon (Concert performance)

Christophe Rousset, Conductor

Vivica Genaux, Dido, Junon

Yaïr Polishook, Aeneas

Daniela Skorka, Belinda, Diane

Valérie Gabail, 1st Enchantress, Hyale

Anat Edri, 2nd Woman, 2nd Enchantress, Aréthuze, Daphné

Cyril Auvity, Sailor, Actéon

Jean-François Novelli, Spirit

Étienne Bazola, Sorcerer

Mathieu Montagne, Tenor

Paul Cremazy, Tenor

Les Talens Lyriques

10 Days in a Madhouse receives Canadian premiere

John Gilks, 16th June

10 Days in a Madhouse is a musically and dramatically excellent but disturbing insight into conditions in a women’s asylum brought to life in Toronto by an excellent production.

****1

Galați Cenerentola lights up the Bucharest stage

Peter Quantrill, 15th June

First class young voices and bewitchingly stylised designs shine through the murk at the Bucharest Opera Festival.

****1

L’Orfeo, the world’s first great opera, premieres at Glyndebourne

Roy Westbrook, 14th June

One element of the Orpheus myth is about creativity, so at Glyndebourne, William Kentridge sets Monteverdi’s opera in an artist's studio,

****1

Monteverdi and Ulisse return happily to Garsington Opera

David Karlin, 12th June

Laurence Cummings and John Caird’s second Garsington exploration of the operas of Monteverdi brims with wonderfully playing and singing in an attractive setting.

****1

Aldeburgh Festival dives in at the deep end with Pelléas et Mélisande

Eleanor Knight, 12th June

Rory Kinnear directs a minimally semi-staged performance of Debussy's problematic opera at Snape Maltings, but Ryan Wigglesworth and the BBC Scottish SO provide the detail.

****1

Darkness without passion: Damiano Michieletto’s Carmen at La Scala

Laura Servidei, 12th June

Despite Michieletto's visual gloom, the evening is redeemed by Myung-whun Chung’s masterful conducting and a cast that brings conviction to a production that rarely trusts the opera’s own dramatic power.

**111

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Edward Sava-Segal

Edward has been living in New York for the last 25 years, one of the reasons being the extraordinarily rich cultural life in this city. He has studied piano and classical music in his early years. He switched later on to computer science and data architecture but he kept an unwavering interest in following the classical music phenomenon here in New York and in his travels. Edward occasionally reviews fine arts events for the most prestigious literary magazine in Romania, his home country.

Purcell and Charpentier double bill help celebrate Les Talens Lyriques' 25th anniversary in Paris