France Bruckner, Symphony No.9: Staatskapelle Dresden / Christian Thielemann (conductor). Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris, 6.2.2022. (LV)
Thielemann’s leap and Bruckner’s Ninth at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées
Paris
Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse shines in Verdi’s Requiem at the Philharmonie de Paris
France Verdi, Requiem: Susanne Bernhard (soprano), Aude Extrémo (mezzo-soprano), Airam Hernández (tenor), Adam Palka (bass). Orfeón Donostiarra, Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse / Jukka Pekka Saraste (conductor). Grande Salle Pierre Boulez, Philharmonie de Paris, 6.1.2022. (LV)
Superb Parisian premiere of György Kurtág’s masterly first opera, Fin de partie
France Kurtág, Fin de partie: Soloists, Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris / Markus Stenz (conductor). Palais Garnier, Paris, 30.4.2022. (MB)
A musically intense and dramatic performance of Wozzeck in Paris
France Berg, Wozzeck: Soloists, Maîtrise des-Hauts-de Seine/Children’s Chorus of the Opéra national de Paris (chorus master: Gaël Darchen), Chorus (chorus master: Ching-Lien Wu) and Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris / Susanna Mälkki (conductor). Opéra Bastille, Paris, 13.3.2022. (MB)
A clear message of hope and humanity from Laurence Equilbey and her Insula Orchestra
France Mendelssohn, Schumann: Carolin Widmann (violin), Insula Orchestra / Laurence Equilbey (conductor). La Seine Musicale, Paris, 14.3.2022 (CC)
Don Giovanni at Opéra Bastille, though well sung, is a mixed experience
France Mozart, Don Giovanni: Soloists, Chorus (chorus master: Ching-Lien Wiu) and Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris / Bertrand de Billy (conductor). Opéra Bastille, Paris, 11.3.2022. (MB)
Michael Spyres’s Florestan is the breakout performance in Cyril Teste’s new Fidelio for Paris’s Opéra Comique
France Beethoven, Fidelio: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Ensemble Pygmalion / Raphaël Pichon (conductor). Performed by Opéra Comique on 1.10.2020 at the Salle Favart, Paris, and livestreamed (directed by François Roussillon) on ARTE Concert (available until 30.9.2022). (JPr)
Beethoven of the very top rank from Sunwook Kim and Laurence Equilbey’s Insula Orchestra
France Beethoven: Sunwook Kim (piano), Insula Orchestra / Laurence Equilbey (conductor). La Seine Musicale, Paris, France, 29.9.2021 (CC)
