Gold-plated cast compensates for frosty staging

Sonya Yoncheva (Elisabeth de Valois) and Jonas Kaufmann (Don Carlos)

Jonas Kaufmann (Don Carlos) and Elīna Garanča (Eboli)

Ludovic Tézier (Rodrigue), Elīna Garanča (Eboli) and Ildar Abdrazakov (Philippe II)

By Mark Pullinger, 31 October 2017

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“Elīna Garanča tore the house down as a glamorous Eboli”

Reviewed at Opéra national de Paris: Opéra Bastille, Paris on 28 October 2017

Verdi, Don Carlo(s)

Opéra national de Paris

Philippe Jordan, Conductor

Krzysztof Warlikowski, Director

Małgorzata Szczęśniak, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Ildar Abdrazakov, Philippe II

Jonas Kaufmann, Don Carlos

Ludovic Tézier, Rodrigue, marquis de Posa

Dmitry Belosselskiy, Le Grand Inquisiteur

Sonya Yoncheva, Elisabeth de Valois

Elīna Garanča, La princesse Eboli

Ève-Maud Hubeaux, Thibault

Julien Dran, Le comte de Lerme

Silga Tīruma, Une voix céleste

Chœurs de l'Opéra national de Paris

Orchestre 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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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Gold-plated Don Carlos cast compensates for Warlikowski’s frosty Paris staging