We left at the interval...

La Monnaie, Brussels, Sunday June 15 2025 Conductor: Nathalie Stutzmann. Production, sets and dialogues: Dmitri Tcherniakov. Costumes: Elena Zaitseva. Lighting: Gleb Filshtinsky. Carmen: Stéphanie d’Oustrac. Don José: Attilio Glaser. Micaëla: Anne-Catherine Gillet. Escamillo: Edwin Crossley-Mercer. Zuniga: Christian Helmer. Moralès: Pierre Doyen. Frasquita: Louise Foor. Mercédès: Claire Péron. Le Dancaïre: Guillaume Andrieux. Le Remendado: Enguerrand De Hys. L’administrateur: Pierre Grammont. La Monnaie Orchestra, Chorus, Youth and Children’s Choirs. Photos: © Bernd Uhlig La Monnaie’s new Carmen was originally staged in Aix in 2017. Like thousands of others, I saw it on video afterwards, and though I was impressed by Michael Fabiano’s fervent commitment to Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production concept, otherwise didn’t enjoy it much. I was bored by the unchanging set, and, though I’d found it intriguing when it was a novelty in 2012 , a bit fed up, thirteen years and several productions...

Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris, Monday June 2 2025 Conductor: Henrik Nánási. Production: Krzysztof Warlikowski. Sets and costumes: Małgorzata Szczęśniak. Choreography: Claude Bardouil. Lighting: Felice Ross. Video: Kamil Polak. Feldmarschallin von Werdenberg: Véronique Gens. Octavian: Niamh O'Sullivan. Sophie: Regula Mühlemann. Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau: Peter Rose. Faninal: Jean-Sébastien Bou. Annina: Eléonore Pancrazi. Valzacchi: Krešimir Špicer. Sänger: Francesco Demuro. Leitmetzerin: Laurène Paternò. Polizeikommissar, Notar: Florent Karrer. Haushofmeister: François Piolino. Wirt: Yoann Le Lan. Orchestre National de France. Unikanti Choir, Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine children’s choir. Photos: Vincent Pontet I suppose it had to happen one day… If I’ve done my sums right, this Rosenkavalier at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées was my sixteenth Krzysztof Warlikowski production, not counting the times I’ve gone back to see some of them more than once. Since I was first hooked by his...

Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, Tuesday May 27 2025 Conductor: Sora Elisabeth Lee. Production, sets and costumes: Pierre Lebon. Lighting: Bertrand Killy. Orchestre de Chambre de Paris. L’Arlésienne Balthazar: Eddie Chignara. L’Innocent: Pierre Lebon. Mitifio/Frédéri (dancer): Aurélien Bednarek. Rose/Vivette (dancer): Iris Florentiny. Soprano: Dima Bawab. Mezzo-soprano: Héloïse Mas. Tenor: Marc Mauillon. Baritone: Thomas Dolié. Le Docteur Miracle Laurette: Dima Bawab. Véronique: Héloïse Mas. Silvio: Marc Mauillon. Le podestat de Padoue: Thomas Dolié. L’assistant du Docteur Miracle (spoken role): Pierre Lebon. Photos: © Thomas Amouroux This production was scheduled as part of the ‘Festival Palazzetto Bru Zane Paris’, to mark the 150th anniversary of Bizet’s death. It brings together one late and one early work: the complete incidental music to Alphonse Daudet’s play L'Arlésienne (1872), and Le Docteur Miracle , an opéra bouffe composed for Offenbach’s Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens (185...