The last two weeks I was (almost exclusively) in France. I have rehearsed four days for Matrimonio Segreto at the Bastille with the outstanding young singers from the Atelier Lyrique. They were all perfectly prepared, and this has then a lot of fun! Never knew that one of Cimarosa can make a feast! Marc Paquien, the director was just there and I am sure that that is an excellent production!
After a lightning visit to Maastricht for the production of Tsar Saltan I then left for Rennes. With the very motivated Orchestre de Bretagne, we have studied this week fantastic film scores and performed! So, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Psycho, North by Northwest, etc. - and that was mega cool! A special discovery was the Concerto Macabre by Bernard Herrmann, a piano concerto from the film "Hangover Square", that of William Wolfram at an incredible Intensity was played and very sensitive.
My French is indeed found in these days of incredible way to the sample! Stand times before ... Not only did I rehearsed in French which is about mid dwell somewhat - but I have also played a Preconcert talk in French, and last but not least ... a radio interview given in French! Thank God, Francois was there, the operations director of the orchestra - did not understand and when I did not know how or question, he sent me back with a suppressed smile in the right direction ... :-)
Unfortunately, then The only concert on Wednesday ... The staff of the Theatre de Bretagne took part on Thursday, as many of the colleagues from the civil service, was larmgelegt at a large general strike in France, probably the largest in 20 years ... Almost the whole of public life. No trains, no flights, no ... hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest what your government is dealing with the economic crisis. France moves towards its first recession in 16 years, and many French workers are afraid for your job. For seven months, unemployment is rising continuously, and are currently nearly two million French people out of work.
why I sometimes have a short strike, and I indulged in a few days rest. Of course with a pair of scores on the lap ... :-)
seen yesterday evening, then Madame Butterfly in the Bastille some getting used to staging by Bob Wilson. Then you can say only ... "May the force be with us !..."
