I may have a suggestion on who should be considered to stage the next Ring in Bayreuth ...

I was Saturday at Paris's Comédie-Française to see Tennessee Williams's a Tramway named Desire in the production of American director Lee Breuer.

Breuer's concepts is a highly stylised one. Settings are inspired from Japan. They are both spare and sophsiticated as they keep changing. 4 mute characters keep coming and leaving to bring it alive. It both allows to make the most of a simple stage, to keep it very dynamic and also to be able to step back and think of the situation, the concept, the characters, ...

There is also a lot of focus (in a manner close to Peter Brook ...), each scene has an idea and the staging, actors play, ..., make it very clear. There are also nice touches of modernity. As an example, when Blanche is raped by Stanley, he is gradually masquerading as the Dark Knight's joker ... Small touches, not too much, just enough, ...

I started thinking where this approach would work well and came to the conclusion that Wagner's Ring could be a good candidate. If someone is reading this in Bayreuth ... (or elsewhere ...)

One last word: the Comédie-Française is currently staging Brecht, Shakespeare, Feydeau, ... Repertory is wide and all comments I am getting is that the classic Comédie-Française quality is present everywhere. As a Geneva-based friend of mine said: what I prefer in France is the Comédie-Françasie.

April 1st news (and some March 26 one)

• Exciting news from the UK for Britten fans ... well seriously !!
• some more serious ones: James Levine is writing a book ...

Have you heard a pianist named Kit Armstrong ?

Have a look at my review of his Geneva concert there. If you have the opportunity, do go and hear him. I have not been that impressed by the originality of a newcomer for a long time.

(Follow-up of my last post on this young pianist ...)

Decca new recording

We are not April 1st so this may be a joke ...or a tragedy.

(Yes, I confirm, I wanted to name this short post: the Royal couple's speech but instead choose to have Decca in the title ...)

Levine

Sad news ...

War is over

Citirgoup has taken over EMI. This will go in business history as one of the biggest business mistake along with IBM's selling their stake in Intel or the Time Warner - AOL merger.

As an aside, all the descriptions of EMI's business mention the Beatles and other pop/rock music. Classical must be very small or unable to relate to the press, or simply maybe the only profitable and stable part of their portfolio.

Domingo, the Michael Jordan of Opera

The world, musical or not, is celebrating Placido Domingo's 70th birthday. All the accolades we are hearing are true: immense repertory, rock-solid technique, unique capability for phrasing, presence and acting skills, ...

There is though one quality which has not been so discussed which I would like to mention: when Domingo is on stage, he does not play the star, he actually makes other singers perform better. Like say Michael Jordan in Basketball, the overall level raises.

One personal memory, I heard him in what could have been his last Bohème in New York in February1991. Mimi was sung by the Korean Soprano who Hei-Kyung Hong. It is Rodolfo who has the first lines of the marvellous Act 1 duo O Suave Fanciulla.When Mimi entered, Hong did not have a volume that matched Domingo (and there may not have  been tons of rehearsals) but in a split-second, Domingo had adapted to his partner and ensured that we had a glorious balanced duo.

This unique artistry from a once in a lifetime singer.