A Dark and Stormy “White Night” - Saturday, 2 October

Well, it was a dark and stormy night for the 20th annual “La Nuit Blanche à Paris,” which also happened to coincide with the launch of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad.  

La Nuit Blanche, held the first Saturday of October each year all over Paris, incorporates concerts, art installations, dance, exhibitions, staged scenes, video shows, neon light shows, disco-rollerblading (I kid you not!), etc. - mostly performing events but some participatory ones - from both French and international artists.  It was canceled last year due to the pandemic and apparently was a bit underfunded this year, yielding more video productions of performances than actual live performances.  Still, about 200 artists registered for the event.  It’s an all-night festival - the buses and Métro run through the night and some streets are closed.  

Sad to say, after a week of glorious sunny and warm weather, it drizzled all day today, started raining more heavily tonight, the wind picked up, and the temperature was in the low 50s F.  I had thought about venturing out to see something - there were some dance/orchestral events scheduled for Place de l'Hotel de Ville just a few blocks from my apartment, but I wimped out.  A sad response for a Duluth native - what happened to that old Nordic toughness?!?  In any case, I read that some events were canceled at the last minute.  Hey, I wouldn’t have wanted to be out performing in those conditions either!

https://quefaire.paris.fr/nuitblanche

What's Happenin' in Town - Thursday, 19 September

So, back in the day my favorite thing to do upon arrival was to pick up a copy of the weekly "pariscope" magazine - usually about 180 pages of in small fonts on light newsprint that listed all of the "stuff" going on in town for the week (published every Tuesday) - resto news, theatre listings, movies, special art exhibitions, music of all kinds, festivals, industry shows, events for children, etc. etc. etc.  I would grab one at the airport and start planning my entertainment on the journey into town.  For a while it even had an English-language section.

When it went out of publication a couple years ago, another similar magazine called "l'officiel des spectacles" picked up the slack with a similarly formatted weekly.  Today I didn't even see that at the neighborhood newsstand (perhaps they were just out of stock).  Happily, you can find articles, listings, photos, etc. on their website:  https://www.offi.fr/

Today I didn't even see l'officiel des spectacles at the neighborhood newsstand, but I did find a new monthly color glossy called "Arts in the City."

It's a little hard to tell from this photo, but the descriptions are mostly in French with an English synopsis just below the green separator line.  (Click on the photo to get a larger view.)  Lots of fun stuff in this month's 135 pages!  And it's only 3.9 euros - do yourself a favor and pick up a copy!

Bummer at the Ballet - Tuesday, 25 October

I was very excited to have snagged a €25 ticket for tonight’s sold-out dance program by the principal dancers of the Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris at the Palais Garnier (the spectacularly ornate opera house in the 8th arrondissement, built in the 19th century). The choreography was by George Balanchine, the costumes by Karl Lagerfeld, the music by Tchaikovsky, Brahms/Schönberg, Ravel and Stravinsky (performed by the Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris and an on-stage piano soloist).

the view from my seat, before
tall guy and big-haired lady
arrived

I’ve sat in the front row of some of the side boxes before, but this time I was in the second row on a horribly uncomfortable taller-than-normal chair. A woman with big hair and a very tall gentleman were in front of me. Bottom line, I could see almost nothing and the chair was cutting off the circulation in my legs.

I survived up to the first intermission (there were two of them) and enjoyed the glimpses I saw of the dancing, but I just couldn’t handle that chair even to sit back and listen to the music. So I stayed in the lobby for the rest of the program and heard snippets of the music through the walls! I did have the restrooms all to myself, and enjoyed a nice glass of champagne in peace & quiet. And after the second intermission a very thoughtful usher offered to let me stand and watch the performance from just inside one of the balcony entrances, a location that would give me a great view, but I just didn’t think my legs would tolerate a long stationary stand. In retrospect, perhaps I should have tried!

The cheap seats (like mine!) were sold out by the time Barb bought her ticket, a balcony seat at the back of the house. She reported an only slightly obstructed view from her seat! So lesson learned: go for seats in the first row of any balcony box even if you have to shell out a few more euros.

The good news is that I discovered an easy way to get in and out of the opera house without having to climb any stairs!  Just enter/exit through the Restaurant l’Opéra that’s on the east side and ask to use the fabulous ornate mirrored private elevator that will whisk you up to the first level of the hall, from whence you can take the public elevators wherever else you need to go! (It helps to be carrying a cane!) Their menu looks decent, so you might even have a drink or bite before or after the show…you can bet that I’m going to add that to my to-do list. Here's a link:  http://www.opera-restaurant.fr/en/

You can also access this elevator by entering at the box office door on the west side of the building, and asking an employee to take you through the lower level, but the resto is more festive and friendly!

Just a few shots of the lobbies with their spectacular marble walls and statues....

Dining, Duttilleux and Dance at the Philharmonie - Monday, 24 October

me & my baguette outside of my
favorite Boulangerie Eric Kayser

After a day of bumming around the 'hood and picking up a few provisions, we headed up to the Philharmonie de Paris in the far northeast corner of Paris, designed by architect Jean Nouvel at a mere €534 million (which was about  €173 million over budget - yikes!) for dinner in their resto "Le Balcon" and then a concert of Henri Duttilleux' music. It's the 100th anniversary of Duttilleux' birth, and there are concerts honoring him all over France this year.

the view from my seat

Sure glad I sat in the back row
 of my balcony section -
these are steep steps
with no railing!

The Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire performed four of his works in this one-hour program, accompanied by modern dance from the Centre national de danse contemporaine and some abstract scenic and floating-watery-color type projections on a white scrim behind the dancers. The music was modern/abstract with fascinating tone colors, long arching lines, some haunting and some peaceful soundscapes punctuated by percussion and other rhythmic elements. At times there was almost too much to observe - the music, solos within the orchestra, the dance, the projections, the background of the hall - all vied for my attention. It was all movement and color, as is the hall itself! A cimbalom was used in two of the pieces; perhaps not so unusual, you might say, but I've heard it played in person only twice in my life and the other time was one week ago at a MN Orchestra concert!

Our pre-concert dinner at Le Balcon was surprisingly tasty - not top tier gourmet stuff but not bad! For an appetizer we shared sautéed forest mushrooms served over a bed of warm mushroom mousse; Barb had cod, and I had pork, both with appropriate accompaniments. The chairs and tables, which repeated shapes used on the exterior and floors of the building, were almost as amusing as the food!

a haunting image!  (actually just a reflection in the window at Le Balcon)

Departing the mother ship.....

Feeling Hopeless at the Ballet – Maguy Marin – Monday, 2 May

OK, that was strange.  I knew that this dance piece by Maguy Marin called “Les applaudissements ne se mangent pas” was going to be in a serious piece in a contemporary language/style, but hey, it was being performed at the Opera Garnier and it’s always fun to sit in those stalls.

the view from my seat

16 dancers (both men and women) wearing street-clothing-type costumes entered and exited and collapsed and were dragged through “walls” made of about 50-foot-long vinyl strips hanging from frames on three sides of the stage.  Sometimes they ran, sometimes they walked slowly, sometimes solo, sometimes in groups – so sometimes entrances and exits were quite quiet and other times the strips made interesting noises flapping against each other (and interesting patterns oscillating as they were hit).  Dancers sometimes bolted across the stage, sometimes encountered each other with hostility, sometimes helped each other, sometimes provided climbing ramps for each other, sometimes "vanished" through the vinyl strips.  A couple times they “logrolled” across the stage, varying their speed as they rolled, again creating interesting sounds.  There really wasn’t a musical accompaniment – instead, a soundscape that was at times like static, at times extended tones, at times loud and dissonant.

a page from the program

This went on for about an hour without a discernible (to me) progression of the story, with the same movements and interactions recurring multiple times.  And there were only a handful of spots where dancers executed what I would normally think of as beautiful movements.

About 2/3 of the full house didn’t applaud at all at the end.  There were some boos.  Maybe 1 or 2 bravos.

The program says, “An allegory for despotic societies, and, in particular, South American dictatorships, the work explores the strategies of power and the dynamics of authority that forge the relationships between men.  The dancers switch from oppressor to oppressed, embodying both the persecutor/executioner and the ‘missing’ victims of the dictatorship.”

Hmmm.  OK, I guess I saw some of that.  Perhaps the piece was intended to make me feel hopeless about or to fear despots.  Or to rise up against them.  Pondering….

Jazzy Latin Bizet – "Carmen la Cubana" – Saturday, 30 April

I was fascinated when I saw the listing for “Carmen la Cubana” at Théâtre du Châtelet, and managed to get a ticket for the final performance.  What a riot!  Bizet’s melodies adapted to an unmistakable Latin beat and inflection and style.  A pit orchestra replaced with a loose, jazzy Latin dance band (Ricky Ricardo only aspired to this level of cool!) – brass, reeds, percussion, piano, solo violin.  Formal Flamenco replaced with sensuous Salsa and African style dancing. Operatic voices replaced with musical theatre voices.  In Spanish with French supertitles.  It was amazing and fun and felt “real.”

Here’s a 1-minute clip of the directors presenting the stage design and show concept to the cast:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PacEvHGRAU

And in this article you’ll find a 3-minute clip showing some of the music and dance:  http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/scenes/comedie-musicale/carmen-la-cubana-bizet-a-la-sauce-rumba-et-salsa-au-theatre-du-chatelet-237725

The venue was only slightly problematic.  I was able to take an elevator up to the balcony 2 lobby, then there were just a few stairs into the balcony.  But the steps down to my row were very steep with no railing.  A nice woman tried to help me, but she didn’t really offer a steady arm to lean on – she sort of moved with me rather than holding still. But then a nice gentleman happened along who gave me a very strong arm to grab – it was almost like grabbing a railing!  People here can be SO gracious and helpful.  The rows are a bit close together and cramped, but happily my seat was on the aisle, with no seat in front of me, so I was able to stretch out my leg when I needed to!

“All you hear is from the opera. It is just arranged differently," said Manny Schvartzman, music director, in an interview.  I hope that Bizet would approve.  But hey, does it matter?  Given the crowds this show has gathered, the public seems to approve!

the stage

more of the hall

the view from my seat

NY Times - What do They Know about Ballet? - Sunday, 11 May

(Placeholder for a post I'll write eventually!)

I'm So Glad that I Didn't Leave at Intermission - Friday, 1 November

Those of you who know me well know that I'm not shy about skipping the second half of pretty much any performance if I don't like it or if the piece isn't engaging me or if I've just "had enough" - I feel as if I would get more value from my ticket money by leaving at intermission than by sticking it out.

Well, despite two rather weird pieces comprising the first half of tonight's production by the Paris Opera Ballet, I stayed. And I'm sure glad that I did.

The first piece was called "Darkness is Hiding Black Horses" by Japanese choreographer Saburo Teshigawara. It felt downright apocalyptic, with spurts of smoke rising from holes in the floor, dancers in ragged costumes, electronic music interspersed with sounds of beating hoofs, strange video projections, very isolated and sharp/jerky dance movements, long almost-motionless stances, and multiple dancers on stage all in their own "zone" and not interacting for most of the piece.  It was interesting for the first 5 minutes, but it went on for 20 more minutes.  Zzzzz.

Second, Trisha Brown's "Glacial Decoy" with no music. I didn't "get" this piece at all and the lack of music gave me pretty much nothing to focus on. Four women in white pleated long almost nightgown-like dresses, dancing mostly independently with movements that to my eye were highly repetitive and didn't communicate much. Short almost peek-a-boo entrances and exits from the wings. Video projections that didn't seem to relate to anything. Like I said, I just didn't "get" this piece.

Then finally, after intermission, a piece called "Doux Mensonges" (sweet lies) by Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián. The music was a cappella Gregorian chant and madrigals by Gesualdo and Monteverdi, beautifully performed by the eight singers of Les Arts Florissants on stage and in the pit.  Movement and music, dancers and singers, entered and exited on red-light-lit square platforms ascending and descending the stage. It was especially interesting to hear the music arise from below the stage and return to it - like things hidden and revealed and hidden again.  For one piece five singers stand on their platform in their little huddle (the platform is lifted only about half-way up so you see just their torsos) and they take one small step clockwise every measure or so, rotating as a group and thus changing the sound. Magical! Two pairs of dancers create absolutely stunning fluid images, suggesting (to me) risk and trust and danger and beauty and agony and peace and mystery. An abstract fabric "cloud" hung above the stage. Costumes were simple burgundy leotards with grey tops and tights. Again there were video projections - filmclips that appeared to have been made in the Opera Garnier and under the stage - I didn't think they added all that much, but they weren't obtrusive. I absolutely loved this piece, and it ended way too soon! Here is a video report showing a couple snippets from a rehearsal:  http://www.ina.fr/video/PA00001250416

And here's the partially-obstructed view from my seat in the front-most box on the side of the Orchestra section of the hall.  Not bad, hey?!?

One more tidbit of the "good news" variety: I found the handicapped entrance (climbing those front steps can be a bit daunting)! It was on the side of the building, as I thought, but it's on the west side (not the east, where I thought it might be, next to the restaurant). So the bad news is that I had to walk all the way around the building to find it. In the rain. But once inside an usher took me to a special small private elevator (he had to use a key to run it) that was unbelievably beautiful - I'm guessing that it's used for heads of state and other very special guests. I wish that I had had the nerve to take a picture inside it! But you'll just have to trust me on this.

Blown Away at the Ballet - Monday, 15 October

My highly anticipated evening at the Paris Opera Ballet (at Le Palais Garnier) met every expectation!  More about that in a minute, but first a few happy words for the ticket-acquisition process.

In August I tried to buy a ticket for tonight's performance, but they were already sold out.  Happily, though, I learned that the Paris Opera has a wonderful web-based ticket turnback mechanism whereby someone who can't use their ticket can post it to the Opera's system.  Someone (like me!) who wants a ticket for a particular performance can post their request on the same system.  So I signed up.  A couple weeks later I received an email informing me that a ticket was available.  I clicked for more info, decided that the price was right, paid the Opera for the ticket, they notified the seller, she emailed the .pdf of the ticket to me, I notified the Opera that I had received it, and they released my payment to her.  Easy peasy!  And no markup - just 3.5 euro for the service.  Everything should work this smoothly.  And it was a great ticket - way up at the front of the house, with a just-slightly obstructed view - scroll down to see photos.

The performance was absolutely wonderful.  A tribute to George Balanchine, it featured three ballets in three quite different styles from three periods of his life.  Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Paris was in the pit - quite the house band!  Their playing was pretty much flawless and always beautiful in full orchestra passages, smaller ensemble passages and solo lines.  All the horn players were men though, so maybe I should audition!

The program opened with "Sérénade" performed to Tchaikovsky's sumptuous 4-movement "Serenade for Strings."  It had to be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen (it brought me to tears more than a few times) - about 20 ballerinas in pale turquoise leotards with diaphanous sheer long skirts creating the most wonderful images of floating and swirling color and line.  Just a few male dancers in a matching unitards entered the picture supporting the ballerinas, but this was a work of the most stunning femininity, with the music and dance absolutely inseparable.  I will never again listen to Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings" without seeing these spectacular images in my mind.  This piece was from the middle of Balanchine's career, in 1934, just after he moved from Paris to New York.

Next, a piece called "Agon" from later in Balanchine's career (1957); the music is by Stravinsky.  This was a masculine piece, performed primarily by male dancers in black pants, white t-shirts and white shoes/socks supported by a few women in black leotards with black shiny belts.  It was punchy, humorous, jolting, bouncy, sarcastic, aggressive, athletic, percussive, geometric - again, a perfect marriage to Stravinsky's brilliant writing for full orchestra, solo strings, blatting trombones, interrupting percussion, and ensembles of winds.  I chuckled (quietly) more than once during this performance!

Then after intermission "Les Fils Prodigue" (The Prodigal Son) in the grand Russian tradition, one of Balanchine's earliest works (1929); the music is by Prokofiev. This was more of a narrative ballet, with sets and costumes and an obvious story line.  Emotions were up-front and unmistakable, from tender compassion to rebelliousness to freedom to competition to conflict to passion to playfulness to abandonment to brokenheartedness to reconciliation.  Again, totally beautiful but in a quite different way.  And charming and insightful.

What a fabulous evening in one of the most fabulous venues anywhere.  Of course, photos cannot be taken during the performance, so the dance photos are from the program book I bought.  The others are by me!

Obviously, I highly recommend this kind of cultural experience for your visit to Paris.  You can take a tour of the spectacular Palais Garnier, completed in 1875 (wowzer...they don't make buildings like this any more!), but if you can possibly manage it, attend a performance here.  You will thank me!

My box, #4, was way down at the end of the hall.
But that's a good thing!

Many a foot has trod
this well-worn mosaic floor

The view from my chair #1

The box has its own vestibule with a fainting
couch, mirror, coat hooks and RED everywhere!
And 8 chairs

The ceiling by Chagal

The view from my chair #3

The view from my chair #4

The strings of Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris
warming up

“Joyaux” (and “Joyeux”) at l’Opéra Garnier – Thursday, 12 November

Tonight I finally had the astonishing good fortune of attending a performance, actually a ballet, at l’Opéra Garnier.

There are two primary opera houses in Paris – Palais Garnier and Bastille. The Palais Garnier was built from 1862 to 1875 and is almost overwhelmingly ornate. I’ve never been inside the Opéra Bastille, which opened in 1989, but it strikes me as much more, well, um, functional.

Here are some photos of the building, my “box” - it contained a door, a vestibule with a bench and coat hooks and a mirror, and six fancy (and fairly comfortable) chairs) - and the view from my box.


























The ballet was called “Joyaux,” which means “jewels.” I had mistranslated it in my head, thinking it meant “joyful,” but that word is “joyeux.” But, by happy coincidence, it turned out to be both!

This elegant, joyful, graceful, tender, noble and even humorous ballet was choreographed by George Balanchine in 1967 and brought into the repertoire of the Paris Opera in 2000. The GORGEOUS new costumes were designed for this production by Christian Lacroix. Two guest dancers from the New York City Ballet (Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia) joined Ballet de l'Opéra. In the pit was Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris, directed by Kevin Rhodes. The ballet consists of three sections: the very romantic “Emeraudes” (emeralds) danced to excerpts from Fauré’s “Pelléas and Mélisande” and “Shylock”, the more modern and almost Broadway-style “Rubis” (rubies) danced to Stravinsky’s “Capriccio” for piano and orchestra, and the classical-style “Diamants” (diamonds) danced to excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony #3. It was an experience of a lifetime. Of course, I couldn’t take photos during the performance, so these shots of pages from my program book will have to suffice!