#theatre du châtelet

[24601orwhatever]

Our first piece of OFFICIAL footage from the Châtelet’s production of Les mis!!!!

[a-fatal-word]

I saw the Theatre Du Châtelet production of Les Miserables, and here's a rundown wyth my thoughts:

In the Prologue, the first set of prisoners are on a boat, then a second group is brought in to help move it. I loved this direction, as we see the physical feats they are forced to do. Valjean is brought on separately to these groups. Guards also beat the men, conveying the aggression of this environment which impacts Valjean’s character.

Part of the set is a ramp up stage left, which gets used a lot. During the Runaway Cart scene, we actually see the cart go down the hill and fall on Fauchelevent and the actor really milks it, it's brilliant. The set has these two huge curved pieces, which are used to create multiple settings, plus box sets which helps separate different locations.

Claire Perot is a perfect Fantine, we understand her immediately. She is watched by all the men in the factory, which she's aware of but hasn't grown hardened as a protection. She's so vulnerable and clearly uncomfortable with the attention. I really enjoyed the 'J'avais Reve' ('I Dreamed a Dream') lyrics, and Perot's delivery of the line about Cosette being close to dying was PERFECTLY delivered. She stopped to take the moment, and it was the best I've ever seen it done. My favourite Fantine, maybe even including the film adaptations I've seen.

The pimp comes on with Bamatabois and has the lines with the sex worker that in the English version says 'only joking, deary knows her place'. When Javert arrests Fantine, the other sex workers start towards her but stop, clearly on her side but unable to stand up to Javert. This asserts the dynamic between these men, who always have more power in the situation, and the powerless women.

Champmathieu and two guards walk in from of Valjean during 'Le Proces' ('Who Am I'), so he sees whose life his decision will impact. It's a shame the actors look nothing alike, I feel like they could've given the actor portraying Champmathieu a beard 😂

I preferred the 'Une Poupee Dans la Vitrine' lyrics to 'Castle on a Cloud' lyrics, they're so much more specific to her experience as she dreams of playing with the doll Catherine. love that she sings about Catherine. I wish that the Catherine that Valjean gives her was bigger, though, it more resembles the size of a doll you would buy today instead of the large doll of the novel. Her broom is literally twice her size though, it's a perfect staying to reflect the famous artwork of Cosette sweeping.

The Sergeant of Waterloo Inn is a box set which covers half the width of the stage so you can see the snow outside behind this set piece, which really makes it seem that the inn is bursting with people. This really highlights how far the Thenardiers fall. We see Cosette and Valjean meet in the space away from the set, which is cold and isolated.

These Thenardiers feel genuinely dangerous; they're funny but there's less playing up to the audience. They dress similarly to the rest of the cast, but there's always something out of place. For example, in Maitre Thenardier (Master of the House), Thenardier's outfit is identical to an ensemble member's, but then his hair is unusually styled compared to the rest of the casts'. During the wedding, everyone wears black and white (white dresses and black suits), whilst the Thenardiers arrive in black and white striped outfits. It's like they try to fit in, but they're always off. I also enjoyed that the Patron Minette are in Maitre Thenardier, backing up Thenardier as he over charges someone (his wife has a go at him in a nice touch of ensemble work). It's like they're mates who then went into crime together. The 'Colette' line also remains.

During the confrontation, which happens whilst the nuns are present, Javert whacks out a giant gun which he points at the nuns, after that the nuns throw a bucket at him. When I say I DIED.

This Grantaire isn't the Grantaire we know, he's way too optimistic and put together. When he first started singing, I thought he might be Prouvaire or Courfeyrac and they'd given one of those characters those lines! It made me think that having Courfeyrac make fun of Marius would be so much fun, they'd get to have a bit more of a relationship there, and Courfeyrac could keep his snarkiness from the novel. But I still enjoyed his performance. This Grantaire still makes fun of Marius in jest, but he is as passionate as Enjolras and can easily jump into action mode. Their dynamic slightly resembles Achilles and Patroclus' in Madeline Miller's novel, in that Enjolras and Achilles are focused and charismatic, whereas this Grantaire, like Patroclus, jumps in to help the wounded. His protection of Gavroche is there, and Gavroche sings his final lines to Grantaire, before falling into his arms dead (Gavroche throws the bag of ammunition over before stumbling back to their side of the barricade with his hand clutching his stomach, resembling Eponine's demise).

The costumes for everyone are stunning. Fantine's deshevelled look is gorgeous and Javert has an incredible black leather coat. Enjolras wears a gorgeous slightly orange toned red coat, then a red striped waistcoat at the barricade, whilst Grantaire is in a green suit, with a top hat in the early Musain scenes.

In 'Bonjour Paris' ('Look Down - Paris') we see a group of middle class men walking to the front of the stage, surrounded by the poor they appear disgusted by, whom we are encouraged to judge.

Minor characters portrayed by the ensemble are given chances to shine, and this production really feels like it is presenting a society, as the novel does. A father and daughter appear in Paris, and this father then joins the revolution. He kisses his wife goodbye as she leaves the barricade, and it's heartbreaking when we see his corpse when they are defeated. We also see a member of the ensemble listen in to Javert's confession to Valjean when he has suspicions that he's an ex-convict. This moment especially evokes the small town attitude of Montreuil-sur-Mer in the novel.

Stanley Kassa's Enjolras is one of the best I've ever seen. He's commanding, serious, and clearly empathetic; having told Courfeyrac to keep watch whilst Valjean sings 'Comme un Homme' ('Bring Him Home'), he also keeps watch, and a couple of times looks back to watch over his sleeping comrades. You can really see that he has a lot going on internally, and is reflecting on the previous day and what is to come. Before sending the fathers and women home, he does this sigh to himself, and lets us in on the inner torment and regret that the people didn't join them. Kassa also dies leaning back off the barricade with his arms out, and he keeps them there until the barricade is removed, which is impressive given the time he has to keep this position for.

In 'Dans ma Vie' ('In my Life'), there are bars to the garden stage left, then bars projected on a screen in front of the set, so Cosette actually feels boxed in and isolated from the outside world in her garden.

Cosette telling Valjean about the 'four men scheming' (replacing 'three men I saw beyond the wall' makes more sense. She and Marius actually see the end of the Eponine, Thenardier and Patron Minette scene, so she tells Valjean as she has reason to worry.

They make the decision to have the barricade rise outside the Musain rather than the Corinthe, probably to simplify things. This also creates an emotional link, as they dream of creating a new world and it's next to that space that they try to achieve that new world.

This production's Prouvaire has a beautiful openness as a performer, he carries a little book on the barricade which feels very apt.

After the defeat, two national guardsmen, plus Javert, survey the barricade, which is covered in the dead, making them face up to what they have done. We also have the national guard giving the orders at the back of stage, visible through the barricade.

'Le Suicide de Javert' ('Javert's Suicide') is heart stopping; he is on top of one of the large set pieces and towards of the song is raised higher. His death is achieved by falling back 90 degrees and the screen in front shows a projection of him falling in slow motion into the Seine. This production takes place 5 minutes from the Seine, which really hits you in this moment.

'Seul Devant ces Tables Vides' ('Empty Chairs at Empty Tables') is done with projections of shadows on the Musain set, which is a wooden piece stage right. Of course we see Grantaire drinking, recognisable as the shadow with the top hat.

'Tourne Tourne' ('Turning') is performed as the moment the families have to identify the dead, such a unique staging choice.

When things get awkward at the wedding, the master of ceremonies asks the 'Maestra' to play a specific song. When things get awkward again when the Thenardiers are eating all the food, Thenardier tries the same thing and asks the 'Maestro' for a song (there was a joke were he said something that wasn't a song, but I can't remember what). The Musical Director is then revealed upstage when she corrects him that's she's a 'Maestra', which got a big clap.

Eponine doesn't duet with Fantine in the Finale until later than usual, so we get a beautiful scene between Fantine and Valjean where she puts his hand on the book before he gives it to Cosette.

Once Valjean dies, he gets to greet everyone in death, included Myriel, who he hugs, and Javert, who he shakes hands with. And Enjolras, who feels very central to this production. He's used a lot in the trailer and Stanley Kassa has the most amazing charisma, you really root for him.

Overall, I loved this production. A lot of the lyrics are tell the novel's story more explicitly and are still poetic at times. I especially loved Fantine's lyrics, and it's so refreshing to see a different take on the material visually. I really hope this production gets a longer life, and I'm so glad we have an album with this cast. They all have golden voices, especially Oceane Demontis as Eponine. I also have to shout out Juliette Artigala for her portrayal of Cosette, I thought she was so endearing.

[comediesmusicales]

The cast recording for the 2024-25 Paris revival production of Les Miserables will be released on November 8th.

It will be available in CD and vinyl format.

Tracklist:

Quand un jour est passé (L’usine)

2. J’avais rêvé

3. Une poupée dans la vitrine

4. Maître Thénardier

5. Sous les étoiles

6. Rouge la flamme de la colère

7. À la volonté du peuple

8. Le Cœur au bonheur

9. Mon histoire

10. Le Grand Jour

11. Comme un homme

12. Seul devant ces tables vides

13. Final : C’est pour demain

Preorder here.

[reystenius-01]

The Ugly Green Emotion

Part One

In which: Swedish!Reader has a killer season for club and country, getting herself nominated for the Ballon D’or. As Stina wasn’t nominated and since she and R are still keeping things on the hush, she doesn’t go as R’s plus one.

When she sees the way R’s ex looks at her, a certain ugly green emotion begins to form.

—-

Stina settled in bed with her laptop and a warm cup of tea. North London, despite its flaws, had been having some great weather recently. She was in one of your sweaters. Everything was perfect. 

The only thing missing was you.

But there was no reason for her to be down about it. Her eyes were glued to her screen as she loaded up the Ballon D’or stream, her laptop screen immediately displaying nominees arriving at the Théâtre Du Châtelet in Paris. She sought you out, trying to see if you and your Barca teammates had arrived yet.

Stina caught more glimpses of other players before she even caught one of you, her anticipation growing as to what your outfit would look like. You had teasingly refused to show her over Facetime, and even during the little international break that you had, you had always managed to sweet-talk your way into talking about something else. It was infuriating, but in the best way possible.

As the stream continued, Stina's heart skipped a beat when she finally caught a glimpse of you, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of your radiant smile. You looked stunning, as always, your hair styled elegantly and your dress fitting you like a glove. Stina couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen, her heart swelling with pride as she watched you step out of the car, surrounded by your Barcelona teammates.

“Fuck, she looks incredible,” Stina murmured to herself, a fond smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she admired you from afar. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as she spotted Aitana by your side, the two of you sharing a brief exchange before making your way into the theatre. Her heart clenched at the sight of your ex-girlfriend, but she pushed aside her insecurities, reminding herself that you had ended things amicably.

Stina took a sip of her tea, her eyes never leaving the screen as she watched the ceremony unfold. She knew that the Ballon d'Or was a significant moment for you, and she was determined to support you from afar, even if it meant battling her own jealousy. She would’ve loved to come with you, keep her hand on the small of your back, looking at you admiringly whenever you were interviewed. You were both private people, and always valued your privacy, even when you were still playing for Arsenal.

At Arsenal, only one other teammate knew that the two of you were dating, Stina's Norwegian best friend, Frida Maanum. It had been completely unintentional, the way she found out. She and her girlfriend, Emma, had come over to surprise you two for dinner.

Only to find the two of you getting up to some… sinful stuff on Stina's couch.

As Aitana was announced as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, Stina's heart sank a little, despite literally being told by you beforehand that you were placing in the top 5, but she managed to keep a supportive smile on her face. She watched Aitana make her way up to the stage to accept the award. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Aitana and you, noticing the way Aitana's eyes kept drifting over to where you were sitting. She couldn't help but feel a pang of irritation as she watched Aitana give her thank-you speech, her eyes lingering on you for just a little too long.

And when the camera panned over to you, giving Aitana a thumbs up, Stina's jealousy flared up even more. She clenched her fists, trying to push aside the ugly green monster that threatened to consume her.

“Damn it,” Stina muttered under her breath, her frustration bubbling to the surface. She knew she had no reason to feel jealous, but seeing Aitana's lingering looks and your friendly gesture only served to fuel her insecurity.

But as she took another sip of her tea, Stina forced herself to take a deep breath, reminding herself that you had chosen her. She tried to push aside her negative emotions and focus on the bigger picture. She knew that you loved her, that you were hers as equally as she was yours, but that didn't stop the green-eyed monster from rearing its ugly head.

After the women’s section was over, Stina swapped over to a Netflix show, deciding to occupy herself for a while until you texted that you were back at the hotel in Paris. Unbeknownst to her, you would be back in her arms by tomorrow night.

When her phone began to buzz, she reached for it immediately. A smile immediately graced her lips as she saw your name pop up on her phone screen, the screensaver of her hand pinching your cheeks with your eyes scrunched closed adorably making her chuckle a little, as it always did whenever she saw it.

��Hey, love,” Stina greeted warmly as she answered the call, her voice soft and affectionate.

“Hey, babe,” you replied, your voice warm with affection. “Just wanted to let you know that I made it back to the hotel safe and sound.”

Stina's smile widened at the sound of your voice, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of you being so close. “I'm glad to hear that,” she said, her voice filled with genuine relief. “How was the ceremony? Did you have a good time?”

“Yeah, it was amazing,” you replied, excitement evident in your voice. “And guess what? I got to catch up with Amanda. It was really nice seeing her.” You sighed, leaning back into the very comfy pillows on your hotel bed. “Anyway, I just… really wanted to hear your voice before I went to bed.”

Stina's heart fluttered at the sound of your voice, her worries and insecurities momentarily forgotten. “I was just thinking about you,” she admitted, a hint of longing in her tone.

“Yeah?” you replied, the smile evident in your voice. “What were you thinking about, älskling?”

Stina hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should mention her feelings from earlier. But then she decided to be honest with you, knowing that you deserved nothing less. “I was thinking about the Ballon d'Or ceremony,” she confessed. “And… about Aitana.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and Stina held her breath, waiting for your response.

“Yeah, I get it,” you said finally, your voice gentle and understanding. “I'm sorry if seeing her there made you feel a little uncomfortable.”

Stina let out a sigh of relief, grateful for your understanding. “It's okay,” she said softly. “I trust you, you know that.”

“I know,” you replied, your voice filled with warmth. “And I love you for it.”

Stina felt a rush of emotion at your words, her heart swelling with love for you. “I love you too,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

There was a moment of comfortable silence between them, before you spoke up again, your tone teasing. “So, what are you wearing right now?” you asked, a hint of mischief in your voice.

Stina's cheeks flushed pink at the question, but she couldn't help but giggle at your playful tone. “Just one of your sweaters,” she admitted, her voice tinged with amusement.

“Ah, my favourite,” you replied, your voice dropping to a husky whisper. “I can't wait to see you in it. Just as much as I can’t wait to see you out of it.”

Stina's heart raced at the suggestion, her mind immediately wandering to more intimate thoughts. “You know,” she said coyly, “you could always come to London a day early… “

A playful chuckle escaped your lips, followed by a soft sigh. “Oh, trust me, lovely, I wish I could,” you said, your voice laced with longing. “But unfortunately, I'm stuck here for one more night.”

Stina's heart sank at the thought of another night without you by her side, but she refused to let her disappointment show. “Well, I guess I'll just have to make do with your sweater for now,” she replied, her tone teasing. “But I expect you to make it up to me when you get back.”

A mischievous glint danced in your eyes as you replied, “Oh, I plan to, believe me. I'll make it up to you in ways you can't even imagine, min kärlek.”

Stina's breath hitched at your words, a shiver running down her spine as she imagined all the ways you could possibly make it up to her. “I can't wait,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too, Stin.” You sighed. “God, I've been thinking about you all night. Your hands all over me.”

Stina's heart skipped a beat at the mention of your longing for her touch. “I wish I could feel you right now,” she confessed, her voice filled with yearning.

A soft chuckle escaped your lips, the sound sending a thrill down Stina's spine. “Soon, love,” you reassured her, your voice laced with anticipation. “I promise, we'll be together soon.”

Stina's cheeks flushed as she listened to your words, her heart racing at the thought of being in your arms again. “Please,” she whimpered softly, “don't tease me like this. I need you.”

A soft chuckle escaped your lips at Stina's plea, the sound sending a shiver of desire coursing through her veins. “Oh, but älskling,” you replied teasingly, “where's the fun in giving away all my secrets? You'll just have to wait and see.”

Stina let out a frustrated groan, her desire mounting with each passing second. She whined, her voice tinged with desperation, “I want to imagine you in that dress, all for me.” Her voice trailed off in a whisper. “Just for me.”

She imagined you before her, her mind conjuring up vivid images of you in the dress. “You'll look so beautiful,” she murmured, her voice thick with desire. “And I can't wait to make you mine.”

“I’m already yours, min kärlek.”

Stina's heart swelled at your words, a surge of warmth flooding through her, “I know,” she whispered softly, her voice filled with tenderness. “But there's something about seeing you in that dress, knowing it's just for me... It's enough to drive me crazy.”

“I want to make you feel so good,” she continued, her voice low and husky with desire. “To give you everything you've ever wanted.”

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she imagined the feel of your skin beneath her fingertips, the taste of your lips against hers. “I can't wait to have you in my arms again,” she admitted, her voice trembling with longing. “To show you just how much I love you.”

You chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver of anticipation down Stina's spine. “Well, lucky for you, you won't have to wait much longer,” you teased, your voice laced with desire. “I'll be home soon, and then you can have me all to yourself.”

A playful glint danced in Stina's eyes as she heard the promise in your words, “I'll hold you to that,” she replied, her voice filled with excitement. “And believe me, I have plenty of plans for when you get here.”

With a soft laugh, you leaned closer to the phone. It was like Stina could feel your breath warm against her skin as you whispered, “I can't wait to see what you have in store for me, älskling.” -------------- part two coming up soon! based off of an ask :) [yes smut incoming in the next part]

[princesssarisa]

Opera on YouTube, Part 2

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 1973 (Knut Skram, Ileana Cotrubas, Kiri Te Kanawa, Benjamin Luxon; conducted by John Pritchard; English subtitles)

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle studio film, 1976 (Hermann Prey, Mirella Freni, Kiri Te Kanawa, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; conducted by Karl Böhm; English subtitles) – Acts I and II, Acts III and IV

Tokyo National Theatre, 1980 (Hermann Prey, Lucia Popp, Gundula Janowitz, Bernd Weikl; conducted by Karl Böhm; Japanese subtitles)

Théâtre du Châtelet, 1993 (Bryn Terfel, Alison Hagley, Hillevi Martinpelto, Rodney Gilfry; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner; Italian subtitles)

Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 1994 (Gerald Finley, Alison Hagley, Renée Fleming, Andreas Schmidt; conducted by Bernard Haitink; English subtitles)

Zürich Opera House, 1996 (Carlos Chaussón, Isabel Rey, Eva Mei, Rodney Gilfry; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt; English subtitles)

Berlin State Opera, 2005 (Lauri Vasar, Anna Prohaska, Dorothea Röschmann, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo; conducted by Gustavo Dudamel; French subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 2006 (Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Anna Netrebko, Dorothea Röschmann, Bo Skovhus; conducted by Nikolas Harnoncourt; English subtitles) – Acts I and II, Acts III and IV

Teatro all Scala, 2006 (Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Diana Damrau, Marcella Orasatti Talamanca, Pietro Spagnoli; conducted by Gérard Korsten; English and Italian subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 2015 (Adam Plachetka, Martina Janková, Anett Fritsch, Luca Pisaroni; conducted by Dan Ettinger; no subtitles)

Tosca

Carmine Gallone studio film, 1956 (Franca Duval dubbed by Maria Caniglia, Franco Corelli, Afro Poli dubbed by Giangiacomo Guelfi; conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis; no subtitles)

Gianfranco de Bosio film, 1976 (Raina Kabaivanska, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes; conducted by Bruno Bartoletti; English subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1978 (Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti, Cornell MacNeil; conducted by James Conlon; no subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 1984 (Eva Marton, Jaume Aragall, Ingvar Wixell; conducted by Daniel Oren; no subtitles)

Teatro Real de Madrid, 2004 (Daniela Dessí, Fabio Armiliato, Ruggero Raimondi; conducted by Maurizio Benini; English subtitles)

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 2011 (Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel; conducted by Antonio Pappano; English subtitles)

Finnish National Opera, 2018 (Ausrinė Stundytė, Andrea Carè, Tuomas Pursio; conducted by Patrick Fournillier; English subtitles)

Teatro alla Scala 2019 (Anna Netrebko, Francesco Meli, Luca Salsi; conducted by Riccardo Chailly; Hungarian subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2019 (Sondra Radvanovsky, Piotr Beczala, Thomas Hampson; conducted by Marco Armiliato; English subtitles)

Ópera de las Palmas, 2024 (Erika Grimaldi, Piotr Beczala, George Gagnidze; conducted by Ramón Tebar; no subtitles)

Don Giovanni

Salzburg Festival, 1954 (Cesare Siepi, Otto Edelmann, Elisabeth Grümmer, Lisa della Casa; conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler; English subtitles)

Giacomo Vaccari studio film, 1960 (Mario Petri, Sesto Bruscantini, Teresa Stich-Randall, Leyla Gencer; conducted by Francesco Molinari-Pradelli; no subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 1987 (Samuel Ramey, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Julia Varady; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; no subtitles)

Teatro alla Scala, 1987 (Thomas Allen, Claudio Desderi, Edita Gruberova, Ann Murray; conducted by Riccardo Muti; English subtitles)

Peter Sellars studio film, 1990 (Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry, Dominique Labelle, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson; conducted by Craig Smith; English subtitles)

Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, 1997 (Simon Keenlyside, Bryn Terfel, Carmela Remigio, Anna Caterina Antonacci; conducted by Claudio Abbado; no subtitles) – Act I, Act II

Zürich Opera, 2000 (Rodney Gilfry, László Polgár, Isabel Rey, Cecilia Bartoli; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt; English subtitles)

Festival Aix-en-Provence, 2002 (Peter Mattei, Gilles Cachemaille, Alexandra Deshorties, Mirielle Delunsch; conducted by Daniel Harding; no subtitles)

Teatro Real de Madrid, 2006 (Carlos Álvarez, Lorenzo Regazzo, Maria Bayo, Sonia Ganassi; conducted by Victor Pablo Pérez; English subtitles)

Festival Aix-en-Provence, 2017 (Philippe Sly, Nahuel de Pierro, Eleonora Burratto, Isabel Leonard; conducted by Jérémie Rohrer; English subtitles)

Madama Butterfly

Mario Lanfranchi studio film, 1956 (Anna Moffo, Renato Cioni; conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis; no subtitles)

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle studio film, 1974 (Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; English subtitles)

New York City Opera, 1982 (Judith Haddon, Jerry Hadley; conducted by Christopher Keene; English subtitles)

Frédéric Mitterand film, 1995 (Ying Huang, Richard Troxell; conducted by James Conlon; English subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 2004 (Fiorenza Cedolins, Marcello Giordani; conducted by Daniel Oren; Spanish subtitles)

Sferisterio Opera Festival, 2009 (Raffaela Angeletti, Massimiliano Pisapia; conducted by Daniele Callegari; no subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2017 (Maria José Siri, Murat Karahan; conducted by Jonathan Darlington; no subtitles)

Wichita Grand Opera, 2017 (Yunnie Park, Kirk Dougherty; conducted by Martin Mazik; English subtitles)

Teatro San Carlo, 2019 (Evgenia Muraveva, Saimir Pirgu; conducted by Gabriele Ferro; no subtitles)

Rennes Opera House, 2022 (Karah Son, Angelo Villari; conducted by Rudolf Piehlmayer; French subtitles)

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)Three Movements from Petrushka: The Shrovetide FairThree Movements from Petrushka: The Shrovetide Fair ·Arthur Rubinstein, piano · Igor StravinskyNew Highlights from "Rubinstein at Carnegie Hall" - Recorded During the Historic 10 Recitals of 1961Please, subscribe to our Library. Thank you!Best Sheet Music download from our Library.Igor Stravinsky's PetrushkaIgor Stravinsky (short bio)

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

Three Movements from Petrushka: The Shrovetide Fair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSSWuIfb0LU Three Movements from Petrushka: The Shrovetide Fair · Arthur Rubinstein, piano · Igor Stravinsky New Highlights from "Rubinstein at Carnegie Hall" - Recorded During the Historic 10 Recitals of 1961

Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka

Petrushka (French: Pétrouchka; Russian: Петрушка) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1911 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine and stage designs and costumes by Alexandre Benois, who assisted Stravinsky with the libretto. The ballet premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 13 June 1911 with Vaslav Nijinsky as Petrushka, Tamara Karsavina as the lead ballerina, Alexander Orlov as the Moor, and Enrico Cecchetti the charlatan. Petrushka tells the story of the loves and jealousies of three puppets. The three are brought to life by the Charlatan during the 1830 Shrovetide Fair (Maslenitsa) in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Petrushka loves the Ballerina, but she rejects him. She prefers the Moor. Petrushka is angry and hurt, and challenges the Moor. The Moor kills him with his scimitar. Petrushka's ghost rises above the puppet theatre as night falls. He shakes his fist at the Charlatan, then collapses in a second death. The gestation of Petrushka was not a straightforward matter. While completing The Firebird during the spring of 1910, Stravinsky had a "vision" of a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle, watching a young girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of Spring. Such was the theme of The Rite of Spring. Immediately following the stunning success of The Firebird in June 1910, Diaghilev approached Stravinsky about a new ballet; the composer proposed the Rite theme. Diaghilev accepted in principle and suggested that the premiere might take place during the Paris season of the Ballets Russes during the spring of 1912. At the end of September 1910, Diaghilev went to visit Stravinsky in Clarens, Switzerland, where he was living at the time. Expecting to discuss the new ballet, Diaghilev was astonished to find Stravinsky hard at work on a totally different project. Stravinsky, it seems, had had another vision: "I saw a man in evening dress, with long hair, the musician or poet of the romantic tradition. He placed several heteroclite objects on the keyboard and rolled them up and down. At this the orchestra exploded with the most vehement protestations – hammer blows, in fact …" Later, Stravinsky wrote: "n composing the music, I had in my mind a distinct picture of a puppet, suddenly endowed with life, exasperating the patience of the orchestra with diabolical cascades of arpeggios. The orchestra in turn retaliates with menacing trumpet blasts." Although Stravinsky had conceived the music as a pure concert work—a Konzertstück, Diaghilev immediately realized its theatrical potential. The notion of a puppet put Diaghilev in mind of Petrushka, the Russian version of Punch and Judy puppetry that had formed a traditional part of the pre-Lenten Carnival festivities in 1830s St. Petersburg. Stravinsky composed the music during the winter of 1910–11 for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. It was premièred in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 13 June 1911 under conductor Pierre Monteux, with choreography by Michel Fokine and sets by Alexandre Benois. The title role was danced by Vaslav Nijinsky. The work is characterized by the so-called Petrushka chord (consisting of C major and F♯ major triads played together), a bitonality device heralding the appearance of the main character. The original 1911 version of Petrushka is scored for the following orchestra. Stravinsky's 1946 scoring is for a smaller orchestra: Compared to the 1911 version, the 1946 version (given in 1947) requires 1 less flute; 2 fewer oboes, but a dedicated cor anglais player instead of one doubled by the fourth oboe; 1 less clarinet; 2 fewer bassoons, but a dedicated contrabassoon; neither of the 2 cornets, but an additional trumpet; 1 less snare drum and no tenor drum, thus removing the offstage instruments; no glockenspiel; and 1 less harp. While the original idea was Stravinsky's, Alexandre Benois provided the ethnographic details of the Shrovetide Fair and the traditions of the Russian puppet theater. And although Petrushka is frequently cited as an example of the complete integration of libretto, music, choreography, and scenic design, Stravinsky had composed significant portions of the music (chiefly the Second Tableau) before Benois became involved with the project. Petrushka begins with a festive orchestral introduction based, in part, on historical Russian street-hawkers' cries. The curtain rises to reveal St. Petersburg's Admiralty Square during the 1830s. The stage set (also by Benois) depicts several hucksters' booths, a ferris-wheel, a carousel, and (upstage center) a puppet theater. A crowd has gathered for the Shrovetide Fair (known as Maslenitsa), the carnival (analogous to Mardi Gras) preceding Lent. In Fokine's original choreography, a group of Drunken Revelers emerges from the crowd, dancing to Stravinsky's adaptation of the folk-tune "Song of the Volochobniki" ("Dalalin' Dalalin'" from Rimsky-Korsakov Op. 24 No. 47). Suddenly, the festive music is interrupted by strident brass announcing the appearance of the Master of Ceremonies on the balcony of his booth. The equivalent of a carnival "barker", he boasts of the attractions to be seen within. The squeaks of a street-organ are heard (clarinets and flutes) as an Organ-Grinder and Dancing Girl emerge from the crowd, which at first pays little attention as the barker continues to shout. The Dancer moves downstage and begins to dance to another Russian folk-song, "Toward Evening, in Rainy Autumn", while playing the triangle. At the other end of the stage, a second Dancing Girl appears, accompanied by a music box (suggested in the orchestra by the celesta). The two Dancing Girls compete for the crowd's attention to the strains of a ribald French music-hall song about a woman with a wooden leg: "Une Jambe de bois". Both tunes are repeated. The Drunken Revelers return (again to the "Song of the Volochobniki") interrupted several times by the Barker's boasts. The street-hawkers' cries of the very opening are heard once more. Suddenly, two drummers summon the crowd to the puppet theater with deafening drumrolls. The Magician (sometimes called the "Charlatan") appears to mystical groans from the bassoon and contrabassoon. When he has everyone's attention, he produces a flute and begins to play a long, improvisatory melody. The curtain of the puppet theater rises to reveal three puppets hanging on the wall: the Moor, the Ballerina, and Petrushka. When the Magician touches them with his flute (to chirps in the orchestra), they seem to awaken. The astonished crowd watches as, with a wave of the Magician's hand, the three puppets begin a vigorous Russian Dance (based on two more Russian folk-tunes: "A Linden Tree Is in the Field" and "Song for St. John's Eve"). In Fokine's masterly choreography, they first begin to move their feet (while still hanging on the wall), then burst forth from the puppet theater into the midst of the crowd. The Moor (resplendent in turban and exaggerated pantaloons) is swashbuckling. The Ballerina dances perpetually en pointe. Petrushka, on the other hand, is wooden and awkward. It becomes apparent Petrushka loves the Ballerina; but she has eyes only for the Moor. The Magician calls the dance to a halt; the curtain falls rapidly. Although Petrushka's room is inside the puppet theater, the Benois design is fantastical, portraying the night sky with stars and a half-moon; abstract icebergs (or snow-capped mountains), and a prominent portrait of the Magician. Drumrolls announce the beginning of the Second Tableau. Without an Introduction, the music begins menacingly. "A foot kicks him onstage; Petrushka falls…" As Petrushka gradually pulls himself together, we hear a strange arpeggio in the clarinets: this is the famous "Petrushka chord" (consisting of juxtaposed triads of C major and F♯ major). Petrushka gets to his feet (although shakily) to the accompaniment of waves of arpeggios from the piano (revealing the music's origins in Stravinsky's Konzertstück). The "Petrushka Chord" returns, now violently scored for trumpets, marked in the score "Petrushka's Curses", directed at the portrait of the Magician. The music turns lyrical as Petrushka falls to his knees and mimes (in turn) his self-pity, love for the Ballerina, and hatred of the Magician. The Ballerina (still en pointe) sneaks into Petrushka's room, at first unnoticed. As soon as Petrushka sees her, he begins a manic, athletic display of leaps and frantic gestures (although he was barely able to stand before she arrived). Frightened by his exuberance, the Ballerina flees. Petrushka falls to the floor to the mocking of the clarinets. Another passage of arpeggios for piano grows into a second round of curses directed at the Magician, again represented musically by the "Petrushka Chord", this time scored for full orchestra. For just a moment, Petrushka peers out of his room at the crowd assembled in Admiralty Square (Stravinsky provides a brief reference to the "crowd music" of the First Tableau). Then, Petrushka collapses as we hear a taunting reprise of the clarinets playing the "Petrushka Chord", followed by an odd trumpet call signalling "blackout, curtain." As before, drumrolls link the Third Tableau to its predecessor (in the 1911 score, Stravinsky directs that this drumroll should be omitted in concert performance). In sharp contrast to the darkness of Petrushka's Room, the brilliant colors of the Benois design for the Moor's Room evoke a romanticized desert: palm trees, exotic flowers, sand. In Fokine's choreography, the Moor reclines on a divan playing with a coconut. He then jumps to his feet and attempts to cut it with his scimitar. When he fails he believes that the coconut must be a god and proceeds to pray to it. The Charlatan places the Ballerina in the Moor's room. The Ballerina is attracted to the Moor's handsome appearance. She plays a saucy tune on a toy trumpet (represented by a cornet in the original 1911 orchestration) and then dances with the Moor in a waltz (the themes taken from Joseph Lanner's Op. 165 No. 1 and Op. 200 No. 1). Petrushka finally breaks free from his cell; he interrupts the seduction of the Ballerina. Petrushka attacks the Moor but soon realizes he is too small and weak. The Moor beats Petrushka. The ballerina faints. The clown-puppet flees for his life, with the Moor chasing him, and escapes from the room. The fourth and final scene returns to the carnival. Some time has passed; it is now early evening. The orchestra introduces a chain of colourful dances as a series of apparently unrelated characters come and go about the stage as snow begins to fall. The first and most prominent is the Wet-Nurses' Dance, performed to the tune of the folk song "Down the Petersky Road". Then comes a peasant with his dancing bear, followed in turn by a group of a gypsies, coachmen and grooms and masqueraders. As the merrymaking reaches its peak, a cry is heard from the puppet-theater. Petrushka suddenly runs across the scene, followed by the Moor in hot pursuit brandishing his sword, and the terrified Ballerina chasing after the Moor, fearful of what he might do. The crowd is horrified when the Moor catches up with Petrushka and slays him with a single stroke of his blade. The police question the Charlatan. The Charlatan seeks to restore calm by holding the "corpse" above his head and shaking it to remind everyone that Petrushka is but a puppet. As night falls and the crowd disperses, the Charlatan leaves, carrying Petrushka's limp body. All of a sudden, Petrushka's ghost appears on the roof of the little theatre, his cry now in the form of angry defiance. Petrushka's spirit thumbs its nose at his tormentor from beyond the wood and straw of his carcass. Now completely alone, the Charlatan is terrified to see the leering ghost of Petrushka. He runs away while allowing himself a single frightened glance over his shoulder. The scene is hushed, leaving the audience to wonder who is "real" and who is not. The work is divided into four tableaux (scenes). The score further indicates the following episodes: During rehearsals for the 1911 premiere, Stravinsky and other pianists including Russian composer Nikolai Tcherepnin used a piano four-hand version of the score. This has never been published, although Paul Jacobs and Ursula Oppens, among other pianists, have played it in concert. In 1921, Stravinsky created a virtuosic and celebrated piano arrangement for Arthur Rubinstein, Trois mouvements de Petrouchka, which the composer admitted he could not play himself, for want of adequate left-hand technique. Herbert Stothart, who composed the score for The Wizard of Oz, was visited by Stravinsky at MGM in 1936. Stravinsky gifted Stothart a personal, signed copy of Petrushka. As the main characters in the film run through the Deadly Poppy Field, the opening to the fourth tableau can be heard briefly. In 1946, he thinned the ballet's scoring, in part because the original was not covered everywhere by copyright. The rapid continuous timpani and snare-drum notes that link each scene, optional in 1911, are compulsory in this version, which was published in 1947. The Ballerina's tune is assigned to a trumpet in 1946 in place of a cornet, and the 1946 version provides an optional fff (fortississimo) near the piano conclusion. Stravinsky also removed some difficult metric modulations in the First Tableau. Separately Stravinsky created a suite for concert performance, an almost complete version of the ballet but cutting the last three sections. In 1956, an animated version of the ballet appeared as part of NBC's Sol Hurok Music Hour. It was personally conducted by Stravinsky himself and was the first such collaboration. Directed by animator John David Wilson with Fine Arts Films, it has been noted as the first animated special ever to air on television. In 1988, Maddalena Fagandini directed a version of Petrushka along with The Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovsky), The Nutcracker (and the Mouse King) (Tchaikovsky) and Coppélia (Delibes) in the BBC puppet film Musical Tales which was released in VHS. Basil Twist debuted his puppetry version of Petrushka at Lincoln Center in 2001; it was performed as well at New York City Center's 2009 Fall for Dance Festival. A full transcription of the 1911 version for symphonic wind ensemble in the original key was made by Don Patterson.

Igor Stravinsky (short bio)

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (17 June 1882 – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in modernist music. Born to a famous bass in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Stravinsky grew up taking piano and music theory lessons. While studying law at the University of Saint Petersburg, he met Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and studied under him until his death in 1908. Igor Stravinsky met the impresario Sergei Diaghilev soon after, who commissioned the composer to write three ballets for the Ballets Russes's Paris seasons: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913), the last of which caused a near-riot at the premiere due to its avant-garde nature and later changed the way composers understood rhythmic structure. Stravinsky's compositional career is often divided into three periods: his Russian period (1913–1920), his neoclassical period (1920–1951), and his serial period (1954–1968). During his Russian period, Stravinsky was heavily influenced by Russian styles and folklore. Works such as Renard (1916) and Les noces (1923) drew upon Russian folk poetry, while compositions like L'Histoire du soldat (1918) integrated these folk elements with popular musical forms, including the tango, waltz, ragtime, and chorale. His neoclassical period exhibited themes and techniques from the classical period, like the use of the sonata form in his Octet (1923) and use of Greek mythological themes in works like Apollon musagète (1927), Oedipus rex (1927), and Persephone (1935). In his serial period, Stravinsky turned towards compositional techniques from the Second Viennese School like Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique. In Memoriam Dylan Thomas (1954) was the first of his compositions to be fully based on the technique, and Canticum Sacrum (1956) was his first to be based on a tone row. Stravinsky's last major work was the Requiem Canticles (1966), which was performed at his funeral. While many supporters were confused by Stravinsky's constant stylistic changes, later writers recognized his versatile language as important in the development of modernist music. Stravinsky's revolutionary ideas influenced composers as diverse as Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, Béla Bartók, and Pierre Boulez, who were all challenged to innovate music in areas beyond tonality, especially rhythm and form. In 1998, Time magazine listed Stravinsky as one of the 100 most influential people of the century. Stravinsky died of pulmonary edema on 6 April 1971 in New York City, having left six memoirs written with his friend and assistant Robert Craft, as well as an earlier autobiography and a series of lectures. Read the full article

[ecoledetheatreparis]

Exploring the Theatre Schools of Paris

Paris, the cultural heart of France, has long been a beacon for aspiring artists, particularly in the realm of theatre. The city boasts a rich tradition of theatrical excellence, with numerous schools dedicated to nurturing talent and pushing the boundaries of performance arts. These institutions blend rigorous training with a deep appreciation for both classical and contemporary theatre, making Paris an ideal destination for anyone serious about a career on the stage. Consultez leur site pour en savoir plus ecole de theatre paris.

Historical Context

Theatre in Paris has roots that extend back to the Middle Ages, with the city's first permanent theatres established in the 16th and 17th centuries. This historical context provides a fertile ground for theatre education, as students are immersed in a tradition that includes iconic figures such as Molière and Racine. The blend of historical influence and modern innovation creates a unique educational environment.

Notable Institutions

Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique (CNSAD)

One of the most prestigious theatre schools in Paris is the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique (CNSAD). Founded in 1784, CNSAD has a storied history of producing some of France's most notable actors. The conservatoire offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes acting, voice training, movement, and stage combat, as well as classes on theatre history and dramaturgy. Admission is highly competitive, with auditions that test not only technical skill but also artistic vision and emotional depth.

École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq

Another cornerstone of Parisian theatre education is the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. Known for its emphasis on physical theatre, this school focuses on the body's expressive potential. Founded by Jacques Lecoq in 1956, the school teaches techniques based on mime, mask work, and improvisation. Lecoq’s pedagogy encourages creativity and innovation, helping students develop their unique artistic voices. The school's influence can be seen in the work of numerous successful theatre companies and actors worldwide.

Cours Florent

Cours Florent is renowned for its practical approach to acting. Established in 1967, it offers an array of programs in French and English, making it accessible to international students. The school is known for its dynamic training methods and emphasis on contemporary theatre. Cours Florent alumni include notable actors such as Audrey Tautou and Diane Kruger. The curriculum includes acting classes, workshops, and opportunities to perform in student productions, providing a well-rounded education in the performing arts.

Unique Pedagogical Approaches

Parisian theatre schools are distinguished by their diverse pedagogical approaches. CNSAD offers a classical conservatory experience, emphasizing a rigorous and comprehensive study of acting. In contrast, the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq emphasizes a physical and improvisational approach, encouraging students to explore and expand the boundaries of traditional theatre.

Moreover, many schools incorporate a strong element of practical experience. Students at institutions like Cours Florent and Studio Magenia (specializing in physical and gestural theatre) are frequently involved in public performances, giving them a taste of professional theatre life and allowing them to build their résumés.

Cultural Immersion

Studying theatre in Paris also means immersion in a vibrant cultural landscape. The city is home to numerous theatres, from the historic Comédie-Française to contemporary venues like Théâtre du Châtelet and Théâtre de la Ville. This allows students to regularly attend performances, participate in festivals, and engage with a dynamic community of artists.

Conclusion

Parisian theatre schools offer a unique blend of historical tradition and modern innovation, making them ideal for aspiring actors and theatre professionals. Institutions like CNSAD, École Jacques Lecoq, and Cours Florent provide rigorous training while fostering creativity and individuality. The rich cultural environment of Paris enhances this education, offering students countless opportunities to grow as artists and performers. For those passionate about theatre, studying in Paris is not just an education; it's an experience that shapes and defines their artistic journey.

[classicalmusicdaily]

Anna Goryachova was born in Leningrad (Saint-Petersburg). In 2008 she graduated with distinction from the Vocals Faculty of the Rimsky-Korsakov St Petersburg State Conservatory (class of Tamara Novichenko and subsequently class of Galina Kiseleva). From 2009 to 2011 she trained under Renata Scotto and Anna Vandi at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome) and also under Romualdo Savastano at the A.R.T. Musica academy (Rome). From 2008 to 2011 Anna was a soloist at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the St Petersburg Chamber Opera. In 2010 she was nominated for Russia’s Golden Mask National Theatre Award for her performance of the role of Donna Elvira in the opera Don Giovanni staged by Yuri Alexandrov. In 2011 under the direction of Alberto Zedda she made her debut at the Vlaamse Opera (Flemish Opera) in Antwerp as the Marchesa Melibea (Il viaggio a Reims, Mariame Clément’s production). From 2012 to 2017 Anna was a soloist at the Opernhaus Zürich, where she performed the roles of Adalgisa (Bob Wilson’s production of Norma), Rosina (Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia), Polina (The Queen of Spades), Magdalena (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Eustazio (Handel’s Rinaldo), Zelim (Vivaldi’s La verità in cimento), Masha (Eötvös’ Three Sisters), Marchesa Melibea and so many others. She has collaborated with such conductors as Teodor Currentzis, Nello Santi, Fabio Luisi, Alain Altinoglu, Enrique Mazzola, Riccardo Frizza, Ottavio Dantone, Stefano Montanari and Daniele Rustioni among others. Took part in the world premiere of Christian Jost’s opera Rote Laterne (2015). In 2012 Anna sang the role of Alcina (Orlando paladino) at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and made her debut at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro (Italy) as Edoardo (Matilde di Shabran) staged by Mario Martone and conducted by Michele Mariotti. In 2020 at the Grand Théâtre de Genève she sang the roles of Angelina (La Cenerentola) and Sesto (La clemenza di Tito, staged by Milo Rau) in addition to making her debut at the Vienna State Opera in the role of Olga (Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production of Eugene Onegin); in Vienna she subsequently performed the roles of Angelina and Carmen. In 2022 as Angelina she made her debut at the Mariinsky Theatre (St.Petersburg). In the 2020–21 season Anna received Valencia’s “Best Mezzo-Soprano of the Season” award for the role of Angelina in La Cenerentola, staged by Laurent Pelly at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía. We all know that this has been a pretty tough time for the socio-political environment, which affected also the arts in a considerable way, and it was so beautiful to see you and your Ukrainian colleague hugging each other during the standing ovation. What do you think about this matter, about the way theaters, but also the society, took actions towards the Russian artists? Honestly, during these 3 months I have never found any change of attitude from my colleagues, nor from the theaters. The political conflict should not affect the cultural environment. Indeed, you all seemed such an united team on stage and behind it! Was it your first Carmen in the amazing production of Calixto Bieito, which such a passionate stage parter as Vittorio Grigòlo, for his debut at Don José? There was such an amazing energy coming from the stage towards us, in the audience! Thank you so much, I already sung in this production in Madrid in 2017. It’s a very intense staging. And I was very much touched to see the standing ovations in Wiener Staatsoper every evening. I never met Vittorio before and we really enjoyed playing and singing together. It was a perfect artistic match, I think! I adore Vittorio! He is not only an incredibly talented artist, but he is also a very nice person offstage. And his role debut was sensational! reposted from https://opera-charm.com/

[sondheims-hat]

The Sunday tableau.

Broadway (1984), London Production (1990), Kennedy Center (2002), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre  (2002), Ravinia (2004), Menier Chocolate Factory Revival (2005), Reprise! LA (2007), Broadway (2008), Stage 773 (2010), St. Louis Rep Production (2012), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (2012), Théâtre du Châtelet (2013), Victorian Opera Melbourne (2013), Signature Theatre (2014), NY City Center (2016), Broadway (2017), Guthrie (2017), Cotuit (2017), ZACH (2018), Pasadena Playhouse (2023).

[24601orwhatever]

A collection of photos recently released of the châtelet production!

[a-fatal-word]

Cunty Javert was iconic, but I hope as many people as possible get to see Theatre du Châtelet's cunty Montparnasse

[suchabasicname]

théâtre du châtelet - paris

[the-paintrist]

Alfred Choubrac (30 December 1853 – 25 July 1902) was a French painter, illustrator, draughtsman, poster artist and costume designer. Together with Jules Chéret he is considered to be one of the pioneers of the modern coloured and illustrated poster of the Belle Époque in France, in particular in Paris.

Alfred Choubrac was born in Montmartre (Paris). With his elder brother Léon Choubrac (1847–1885), Alfred was trained as a classical artist at the École des Beaux Arts by the painters Charles Doërr and Isidore Pils. The Choubrac brothers began making posters very early in their career; from 1875, they applied modern colour and typographic techniques, combined with graphics, using chromolithography.

In the early 1870s, the Choubrac brothers and Jules Chéret (known as "the father of the modern poster") reduced the cost of colour lithography introducing technical advances and the colour poster gained significance as an attractive means of promotion and advertisements. Additionally, in 1881 restrictions on bill-posting (affichage) were lifted and eased state control of the media in France. In 1884, the Paris city council started to rent out space belonging to the municipality, paving the way for a rapid increase in the production and distribution of advertising posters. Posters with clear colours and dashing images appeared all over town during the vibrant spirit of the Belle Époque.

The Choubracs worked mainly with the printing company F. Appel. Later, Léon and Alfred created the Ateliers Choubrac, one of the first graphic design agencies in Paris, originally hosted by the printing press G. Massias at the 17 passage Daudin, using a lithographic press. Around 1898, the name of the Atelier was associated with the name of Imprimerie Bourgerie & Cie, at 83 rue du Faubourg, St Denis in Paris.[6] Although his brother Leon died young, Alfred went on to produce an impressive number of posters for Parisian entertainers, theatres, businesses and various commercial products.

Alfred Choubrac specialized in posters for shows in the Parisian night-life scene of the Belle Époque, for theatres such as the Théâtre des Variétés, Théâtre du Châtelet, Folies Bergère, Opéra comique, Moulin rouge, Casino de Paris, the Eldorado, the Circus Fernando. Along with Chéret and Toulouse-Lautrec, amongst others, Choubrac was among the most important poster artist of his time. His most famous poster is Au Joyeux Moulin Rouge to promote the famous nightclub.

Alfred Choubrac (French, 1853–1902)

Scheherazade and the sultan,  1878

oil on canvas, 131 x 90 cm

© MutualArt  

[princesssarisa]

Opera on YouTube 6

Pagliacci

Franco Enriques studio film, 1954 (Franco Corelli, Mafalda Micheluzzi, Tito Gobbi; conducted by Alfredo Simonetto; no subtitles)

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, 1961 (Mario del Monaco, Gabriella Tucci, Aldo Protti; conducted by Giuseppe Morelli; Japanese subtitles)

Herbert von Karajan studio film, 1968 (Jon Vickers, Raina Kabaivanska, Peter Glossop; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; no subtitles)

Franco Zeffirelli film, 1983 (Plácido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, Juan Pons; conducted by Georges Prêtre; English subtitles) – Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI

Metropolitan Opera, 1994 (Luciano Pavarotti, Teresa Stratas, Juan Pons; conducted by James Levine; Spanish subtitles)

Ravena Festival, 1998 (Plácido Domingo, Svetla Vassileva, Juan Pons; conducted by Riccardo Muti; Italian subtitles)

Zürich Opera House, 2009 (José Cura, Fiorenza Cedolins, Carlo Guelfi; conducted by Stefano Ranzani; no subtitles)

Chorégies d'Orange, 2009 (Roberto Alagna, Inva Mula, Seng-Hyoun Ko; conducted by Georges Prêtre; French subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2011 (Marcello Giordani, Angeles Blancas, Vittorio Vitelli; conducted by Daniele Callegari; English subtitles – ignore the silly references to Norse mythology and aliens that the translator threw in, they're not in the actual libretto)

Latvian National Opera, 2019 (Sergei Polyakov, Tatiana Trenogina, Vladislav Sulimsky; conducted by Jānis Liepiņš; no subtitles)

Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Dresden State Opera, 1977 (Armin Ude, Carolyn Smith-Meyer, Barbara Sternberer, Rolf Tomaszewski; conducted by Peter Gülke; no subtitles)

Bavarian State Opera, 1980 (Francisco Araiza, Edita Gruberova, Reri Grist, Martti Talvela; conducted by Karl Böhm; English subtitles)

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Deon van der Walt, Inga Nielson, Lillian Watson, Kurt Moll; conducted by Georg Solti; English subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 1989 (Deon van der Walt, Inga Nielson, Lillian Watson, Kurt Rydl; conducted by Horst Stein; no subtitles)

Théâtre du Châtelet, 1991 (Stanford Olsen, Luba Orgonasova, Cyndia Sieden, Cornelius Hauptmann; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner; French subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 1989 (Kurt Streit, Aga Winska, Elzbieta Szmytka, Artur Korn; conducted by Nicolaus Harnoncourt; Hungarian subtitles) – Act I, Act II

Teatro della Pergola, 2002 (Rainer Trost, Eva Mei, Patrizia Ciofi, Kurt Rydl; conducted by Zubin Mehta; Spanish subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2012 (Christoph Strehl, Diana Damrau, Olga Peretyatko, Franz-Josef Selig; conducted by Ivor Bolton; Catalan subtitles)

Bankhead Theatre, 2018 (David Walton, Alexandra Batsios, Elena Galvan, Kevin Langan; conducted by Alex Katsman; English subtitles)

Theatro São Pedro, 2023 (Daniel Umbelino, Ludmilla Bauerfeldt, Ana Carolina Coutinho, Luiz-Ottavio Faria; conducted by Cláudio Cruz; Brazilian Portuguese subtitles)

Un Ballo in Maschera

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, 1967 (Carlo Bergonzi, Antonietta Stella, Mario Zanassi; conducted by Oliviero di Fabritiis; Spanish subtitles)

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1975 (Plácido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Piero Cappuccilli; conducted by Claudio Abbado, English subtitles)

Teatro alla Scala, 1978 (Luciano Pavarotti, Mara Zampieri, Piero Cappuccilli; conducted by Claudio Abbado; Italian subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1980 (Luciano Pavarotti, Katia Ricciarelli, Louis Quilico; conducted by Giuseppe Patané; no subtitles)

Royal Swedish Opera, 1986 (Nicolai Gedda, Siv Wennberg, Carl Johan Falkman; conducted by Eri Klas; sung in Swedish; Swedish subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 1990 (Plácido Domingo, Josephine Barstow, Leo Nucci; conducted by Georg Solti; Spanish subtitles)

Leipzig Opera House, 2006 (Massimiliano Pisapia, Chiara Taigi, Franco Vassallo; conducted by Riccardo Chailly; English subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Teatro Regio di Torino, 2012 (Gregory Kunde, Oksana Dyka, Gabriele Viviani; conducted by Renato Palumbo; no subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Chorégies d'Orange, 2013 (Ramón Vargas, Kristin Lewis, Lucio Gallo; conducted by Alain Altinoglu; French subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 2014 (Francesco Meli, Hui He, Luca Salsi; conducted by Andrea Battistoni; no subtitles)

Cavalleria Rusticana

Giorgio Strehler studio film, 1968 (Gianfranco Cecchele, Fiorenza Cossotto; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; no subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1974 (Franco Tagliavini, Grace Bumbry; conducted by John Nelson; no subtitles)

Franco Zeffirelli film, 1983 (Plácido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova; conducted by Georges Prêtre; no subtitles)

Ravenna Festival, 1996 (José Cura, Waltraud Meier; conducted by Riccardo Muti; Italian subtitles)

Ópera de Bellas Artes, 2008 (Alfredo Portilla, Violeta Dávalos; conducted by Marco Zambelli; Spanish subtitles)

Zürich Opera, 2009 (José Cura, Paoletta Marrocu; conducted by Stefano Ranzani; no subtitles)

Chorégies d'Orange, 2009 (Roberto Alagna, Beatrice Uria-Monzon; conducted by Georges Prêtre; French subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2011 (Marcello Giordani, Ildiko Komlosi; conducted by Daniele Gallegari; Spanish subtitles)

Mikhailovsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, 2012 (Fyodor Ataskevich, Iréne Theorin; conducted by Daniele Rustioni; English subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2019 (Younghoon Lee, Elina Garanča; conducted by Graeme Jenkins; English subtitles)

[ballet-symphonie]

Russian + Ukrainian Theatre Updates

Updates as of March 6th, corrections, and additions welcome. More sources will be added with time. UPDATES IN RED

Ukraine

*Note that Ukraine-related comments are being heavily censored on most Russian forums that I read. In some cases, the forum topics "Ballet in Ukraine" are even closed to future comments or tags are blocked

National Opera of Ukraine (Kyiv State Ballet)

Opera House is closed following government orders, everything is suspended indefinitely

Former NYCB and SFB Principal Ana Sophia Scheller has left the company and the country

Several dancers have left the theater to serve in the army, notably Oleksii Potiomkin who has been very active on IG, and Lesya Vorotnyk

Companies who have offered assistance to working Ukrainian Artists include Polish National Ballet, Hungarian National Ballet, and Czech National Ballet, Bucharest National Opera

Dnipro State Opera and Ballet Theatre

6 Dancers including Canadian BBA Grad Lara Paraschiv are now working in Romania at Bucharest National Opera. Director of the Opera Daniel Jinga said the dancers have begun working with the ballet corps and some of them could be performing in a month.

"We will have the legal and technical capacity to give them collaboration contracts fairly quickly and we seek to do that because we want to help them all the way," Jinga said.

Kyiv City Ballet

Currently on tour in France since before the war started, receiving offers of aid from a wide variety of arts organizations,

Dancers staying at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris currently

Donation portal linked on their website

Russia

Various Russian Names that have spoken/posted publically, explicitly against the war include Natalia Osipova, Diana Vishneva, Vladimir Shklyarov, Viktorina Kapitonova, Nina Ananiashvili, Olga Smirnova, Irina Kopakova, Natalia Makarova, Valentina Kozlova. Names taken from Alexei Ratmansky's public FB

Bolshoi

Kyiv-born Alexei Ratmansky left Russia for NYC, his new ballet, set to Bach’s “Art of the Fugue,” was to have its premiere on March 30. The work is still incomplete. According to the BT website, the premiere is currently postponed due to “negotiations with the staging team"

Jacopo Tissi and David Motta Soares leaving the company as well as Erick Swolkin and Bruna Gaglianone -> The 3 Italians listed have posted safely from Rome/Milan. Jacopo Tissi now working at La Scala.

The Bolshoi Theatre’s general director, V. Urin, was among a group of Russian cultural leaders to sign a petition against the war

Chief Conductor of the Bolshoi Theater Tugan Sokhiev steps down as Music Director and Principal Conductor of BT

Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema screenings canceled

Various tours to the UK and Ireland canceled

Bolshoi Ballet Summer intensives canceled

Mariinsky

Ratmansky's Reconstruction of “The Pharaoh’s Daughter,” is at the very least indefinitely postponed

Tours to the US (Kennedy Center) canceled (both for pandemic reasons and war reasons?)

Victor Caxieta, leaving the company (replaced by K. Kim in upcoming DQ on Mar 5th)

May Nagahisa likely leaving as well (replaced by R. Shakirova in the upcoming RJ on Mar 8th, as well as several Sevan Sonatas performances)

Other foreigners leaving including Marko Juusela, Mikhail Barkidjidzha, Aaron Osawa-Horowitz, several Japanese corps dancers

Speculation about both Mativenkos leaving, Denis danced in Spartacus recently at Mik --> Both Mativenkos have left, Denis has also resigned from the VBA

Speculation about other foreigners staying include Xander Parish (has RUS citizenship but was also replaced in upcoming Giselle) and Ekaterina Chebykina --> UPDATE Xander Parish is leaving as well, expressed concern for Chebykina on latest IG post, he and Yevseeva embraced in a long hug after their last performance of "I'm Not Scared", Chebykina's account is now private.

Mikhailovksy

Ivan Vasiliev leaving the company, likely wanting to do more freelance work and possibly move his base to Moscow, still scheduled for upcoming performances with the theater (this is older news)

Andrea Lassakova and Adrian Mitchell leaving the company.

Imogen Walter, Caesar Elsner, Davide Loricchio, Daniela De Pompeis, Flavio Paciscopi, Filippo Montanari (basically every foreigner in their corps)

Nacho Duato appears to be staying? Or at least continuing to work with the company? General Director V. Kekhman confirmed Duato would arrive on Mar 15th to prepare new versions of "Don Quixote" and his first-ever opera performance "Carmen." Lots of questions about how he will fly into the country.

Stanislavsky (MAMT)

Laurent Hilaire has resigned from his position as director and will be leaving the country.

Laura Fernandez-Gromova has left and returned home safely

Speculations about Anastasia Limenko, Maria Beck leaving the company

Vaganova Ballet Academy

Letter addressed to international students from Rector N.M. Tsiskaridze posted on VBA Instagram.

"Despite very challenging situation in the world today, Vaganova Ballet Academy is above all the educational institution in the field of art. We continue to provide educational services, and all our obligations, including security, will be fulfilled in full. If any issues arise due to political restrictions, we will be there to assist in problems resolutions. We understand that the representative offices of your countries are trying to enforce you to leave Russia. We advise that you do not have to worry or panic. All decision-making will be based on monitoring the situation. We appreciate your understanding."