By: Frank Cadenhead The numbers for the Opéra national de Paris’ 2015-2016 season, recently released, gives a positive impression despite the effects of the murderous series of terrorist attacks on the 13th of November of last year. Attendance has remained steady and private donations are up. The attack on the Bataclan Theater, which lasted over […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead The September 15 press conference was unusually packed for the season announcement of Opéra Comique. After being closed for 18 months and under new management, the interest in the future of this iconic Parisian institution was high. The new director, Olivier Mantei, was the only speaker and occupied the stage for about […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead Where is Stephen Colbert when you need him? He certainly could do a comedy routine about the train wreck that is the opening of the musical season in Paris this year. The goofiness of multiple openings of world-class events on the same day would get lots of laughs. In his absence I […]
Read the rest of this article »by: Frank Cadenhead On Wednesday, during a morning interview on France Musique, Emmanuel Krivine was blunt. “I’m trying to go to the end by being a little less of an ass than at the beginning” His selection as the new music director of the Orchestre National de France, starting with the coming season, was much […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead Touring performing arts groups, usually orchestras and ballet companies from Eastern Europe, are a common part of each season in cities and towns throughout France and Europe. They usually feature standard repertory appealing to mass audiences and often have names which seem impressive but, under closer inspection, are of questionable importance. Is […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead There is an ongoing protest movement called Nuit Debout in Paris and in other cities around France. Like “Occupy Wall Street” is is mainly frustrated young people. The name “Nuit debout” has been translated into English as “Up All Night”, “Standing Night”, or “Rise up at night.” Young people in the thousands […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead The new Philharmonie de Paris, open now one year and three months, has had a remarkable success by any measure, particularly with winning new audiences and attracting old audiences to the new locale. It is now one of Europe’s principle venues and the whirl of talent on stage practically every night gives […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead There was a torrent of boos at the December 11 opening of Berlioz’ La Damnation de Faust at the Paris Opéra and it started even before the intermission. Critical reaction to the production was of a similar nature. When I saw the production on December 29, there was only a single person booing […]
Read the rest of this article »News from the new concert hall in Paris, the Philharmonie. This is the press release for Yesterday’s one year anniversary: 1,203,056 people visited the Philharmonie de Paris during its first year. On 14th January 2016, one year to the day since its opening, the attendance figures confirm and highlight the success that the Philharmonie de […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead You are not likely to find Schoenberg at the center of a regular symphony concert in any season. The concert of December 4th of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, at the Auditorium at Radio France, with music of Brahms and Schoenberg, would be not high on my list except for one […]
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