Following on from this year's successful Friends tour to Paris, Kathy Mere, from Switzerland sent this summary of the tour and I am delighted to share it with you all. My deepest thanks to Kathy for taking the time to contribute this wonderful report.
No fewer than 22
opera-lovers assembled in Paris for the Wexford Festival's second Friends' Tour
arranged through the London-based agency Travel for the Arts. Meeting up in our
hotel lobby at 5 pm on Wednesday 23 April we were introduced to each other and
to our local Paris guide Fabienne by our Friends' Tour Manager Lucy Durack
(Wexford Festival's Membership Development Executive) and by Eamonn Carroll
(the Development Manager).
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| Palais Garnier |
In happy
anticipation of our three days together, we set off with Fabienne, our local
guide, for an early meal before proceeding to the imposing Palais Garnier for
the first of our two opera evenings. In the auditorium we had the most perfect
seats in a raised area that in effect forms the rear stalls. The rather OTT
staging of 'L'Italiana in Algeri' might not have been to everyone's taste, but
the singers (particularly the feisty and vivacious Isabella of Varduhi
Abrahamyan) were good. The production involved far too many 'ideas'; did we
really need a gorilla, three flamingoes and a zebra?
We had a better chance to admire the dazzling interior of the opera house on
Thursday morning as Fabienne followed up a short stroll around the Opéra
district with a 90-minute tour of the Palais Garnier. With her vivid
descriptions, we were transported back a hundred years and more, to a time when
carriages would disgorge their elegant passengers actually inside the north west wing of the opera house, thus
ensuring that ladies' gowns and coiffures remained impeccable. This
part of the building now houses the box office and it is
from here that marble staircases lead upwards to the main entrance, to the
sumptuous reception rooms, the bars, the vast balcony looking down the Avenue
de l'Opéra and the auditorium itself.
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| Friends on staircase at the Palais Garnier |
After our tour we
had some hours of free time for our own sightseeing before reconvening and
boarding a small coach to take us across Paris for a distinctly good pre-opera
meal at Chez Jenny, a pleasant restaurant with its Alsatian flavour. From here
it was just a short drive to the Opéra Bastille, a modern building that is the
very antithesis of the Palais Garnier.
Once again provided, thanks to Travel for the Arts, with excellent seats, we enjoyed a musically and visually stunning performance of Bellini's heavenly 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi'. The scheduled Giulietta being indisposed, her South Korean replacement Yun Jung Choi was sublime in the role – sounding terrific and, what's more, even looking like a 16-year-old. Most of us were full of enthusiasm for Robert Carsen's staging and we all left the theatre with Bellini's long arching phrases still ringing in our ears. It was indeed an evening to treasure. Incidentally, when we visit leading opera houses we often encounter singers whom we have already enjoyed at Wexford: strangely, this was not the case in Paris, although Robert Carsen had directed Bellini's 'La Straniera' in Wexford in 1987.
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| Opéra Bastille |
Once again provided, thanks to Travel for the Arts, with excellent seats, we enjoyed a musically and visually stunning performance of Bellini's heavenly 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi'. The scheduled Giulietta being indisposed, her South Korean replacement Yun Jung Choi was sublime in the role – sounding terrific and, what's more, even looking like a 16-year-old. Most of us were full of enthusiasm for Robert Carsen's staging and we all left the theatre with Bellini's long arching phrases still ringing in our ears. It was indeed an evening to treasure. Incidentally, when we visit leading opera houses we often encounter singers whom we have already enjoyed at Wexford: strangely, this was not the case in Paris, although Robert Carsen had directed Bellini's 'La Straniera' in Wexford in 1987.
On the Friday
morning we had opted out of the organised trip to Versailles - of which we
heard appreciative comments - but were reunited with the party in the late
afternoon for another highlight – a Reception and Recital at the Embassy of
Ireland. Trying hard not to be overawed by the resplendent interior, we mounted
the grand staircase to be welcomed by our host Rory Montgomery, the Ambassador
and a great fan of Wexford Festival Opera. Drinks were served in a salon
overlooking Avenue Foch before we moved next door to another exquisitely
panelled room.
The embassy's very own Steinway (donated by an Irish music-lover resident in Paris) had been set up. Janet Haney, inter alia, Music Director of Balfe's 'The Sleeping Queen' at Wexford last year, proved a very sensitive accompanist for mezzo-soprano Lucia Cirillo who had shone in last year's International Opera Award-winning 'Cristina, Regina di Svezia'. We were treated to a delightful programme: an unfamiliar (to us) Mozart aria K.520 'As Luise was Burning the Letters of Her Unfaithful Lover', Cherubino's 'Voi che sapete', Rosina's 'Una voce poco fa' and finally two songs each by Montsalvatge and Tosti. We were also granted one encore – the Neapolitan song 'A vucchella'. Lucia is one of the singers who was singled out for special sponsorship at the 2013 Festival and it was a joy to hear her once again.
There was time afterwards to chat with the musicians and also to enjoy the lavish selection of canapés organised by the Embassy. It was a delightful evening and we all found it hard to tear ourselves away.
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| The Irish Embassy, Paris |
The embassy's very own Steinway (donated by an Irish music-lover resident in Paris) had been set up. Janet Haney, inter alia, Music Director of Balfe's 'The Sleeping Queen' at Wexford last year, proved a very sensitive accompanist for mezzo-soprano Lucia Cirillo who had shone in last year's International Opera Award-winning 'Cristina, Regina di Svezia'. We were treated to a delightful programme: an unfamiliar (to us) Mozart aria K.520 'As Luise was Burning the Letters of Her Unfaithful Lover', Cherubino's 'Voi che sapete', Rosina's 'Una voce poco fa' and finally two songs each by Montsalvatge and Tosti. We were also granted one encore – the Neapolitan song 'A vucchella'. Lucia is one of the singers who was singled out for special sponsorship at the 2013 Festival and it was a joy to hear her once again.
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| Janet Haney and Lucia Cirillo |
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| Kathy Mere, Brian O'Hagan, Janet Haney |
There was time afterwards to chat with the musicians and also to enjoy the lavish selection of canapés organised by the Embassy. It was a delightful evening and we all found it hard to tear ourselves away.
The general mood
was understandably somewhat downcast on Saturday morning when it was time to
say goodbye. However, we took comfort in the knowledge that there are only six
months to go until this year's Festival.
One of the many aspects of this trip that we particularly appreciated was the fact that all of us had at least one thing in common: a passionate love of Wexford Festival Opera. Because of this we all chatted away merrily as we exchanged special memories of past Festivals. Dr. Tom Walsh's daughter Victoria Walsh-Hamer, who was with us for much of our tour, was surely heartened to sense everyone's profound admiration for all that her late father and his friends have created. Long may their Festival continue to grow and give pleasure to us all.
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| Victoria Walsh-Hamer |
One of the many aspects of this trip that we particularly appreciated was the fact that all of us had at least one thing in common: a passionate love of Wexford Festival Opera. Because of this we all chatted away merrily as we exchanged special memories of past Festivals. Dr. Tom Walsh's daughter Victoria Walsh-Hamer, who was with us for much of our tour, was surely heartened to sense everyone's profound admiration for all that her late father and his friends have created. Long may their Festival continue to grow and give pleasure to us all.
Our thanks to H.E.
The Ambassador, to Lucy and Eamonn and to our local guide Fabienne – we so
enjoyed these three days and look forward to learning what is being planned for
next year.
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| Some Friends with Fabienne at Versailles |
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