For whom the bell tolls at the Opéra Comique

By Mark Pullinger, 10 June 2017

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“Belgian soprano Jodie Devos... shone brightest, with bell-like clarity and sunshine in her voice”

Reviewed at Opéra Comique, Paris on 9 June 2017

Saint-Saëns, Le Timbre d'argent

Opéra-Comique

François-Xavier Roth, Conductor

Guillaume Vincent, Director

James Brandily, Set Designer

Fanny Brouste, Costume Designer

Edgaras Montvidas, Conrad

Hélène Guilmette, Hélène

Tassis Christoyannis, Spiridion

Yu Shao, Bénédict

Jodie Devos, Rosa

Raphaëlle Delaunay, Dancer

accentus

Les Siècles

Implacable Werther at Opéra-Comique from Pichon and Huffman

Romain Daroles, 19th January

Tight orchestral playing, minimalist stage design: the conductor and director are perfectly in tune with each other, transforming Massenet's work into an intimate and timeless drama.

****1

Opéra-Comique's Carmen brings high musical qualities to Edinburgh

Roy Westbrook, 8th August

Andreas Homoki's meta-staging in Paris' Opéra-Comique cannot detract from strong musical performances at the Edinburgh Festival, led by Gaëlle Arquez as a near-perfect Carmen.

****1

Deliciously not Disney: Zémire et Azor at Opéra Comique

David Karlin, 29th June

Grétry's mash-up of Beauty and the Beast and The Arabian Nights provides an evening of proper enchantment in Paris.

****1

Unhappy ever after: Gluck's Armide returns to Paris

David Karlin, 11th November

Excellent performances and stage direction make a good case for an opera that's on the slow side dramatically.

****1

Titon et l'Aurore: flying sheep at the Opéra Comique

Philippe Ramin, 21st January

In Basil Twist's staging of Titon et l'Aurore, William Christie shows the breadth of his talent in 18th century French repertoire, conducting an cast which excels in both main and supporting roles.

*****

Operatic magic: Ercole Amante at the Opéra Comique

Jean-Marc Piriou, 6th November

Voices, orchestra staging: everything in this Ercole Amante is light and magic, to the great delight of the Salle Favart audience.

*****

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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.

For whom the bell tolls: Saint-Saëns' Le Timbre d'argent chimes again at the Opéra Comique