Two days in Paris: 27Sept, 28Sept, two musical events in the evening, the Flying Dutchman at Opera Bastille, then L'enfance du Christ at Pleyel. Two museums during daytime, Monet exhibition at the Grand Palais, then Cernuschi Museum. Still, I had time to feel the autumn touch in Parc Monceau, coming out of Musée Cernuschi and waiting for the Pleyel concert. Now, I try to group my outings in the same area, it saves travelling and gives me a better idea of the spot. Place des Ternes is keeping a poetic atmosphere with the flower stands in the middle. A pity there are no benches, and no kiosque à musique for either les amoureux de Peynet or those of Brassens 'les bancs publics'...and too much traffic around! In the Fnac nearby there was a nice selection of Vesselina kasarova's CDs, among them, "Passionate Arias" which is a good introduction to her voice and art:Passion is what is really the chore of her voice, with easy tops and rich low ones. All that with brassy harmonics and sometimes her own stress which is like her heart beat. When I really discovered her through the smashing Smorg's writings and samples, I knew she would fit in my mezzo family, along with the old and recent ones. Having been fed on Rita Gorr's voice, I now try to find my own mezzo. I thought I had found her in Joyce Di Donato and Sonia Ganassi who are really good but do not have that special tinge, that deep resounding and passion. They seem more tamed and following the rules. Of course there is Cecilia Bartoli, I would say Cecilia is absolutely standing on very special grounds... hors concours...Assoluta in her own ways!
Vesselina was au rendez-vous at Salle Pleyel on the 28th, for a graceful Berlioz evening : L'enfance du Christ. She was Mary, in excellent company with bass Laurent Naouri-Hérode and the Good man, tenor Paul Groves as The Narrator, baritone Matthiew Brook-Joseph. With Laurence Equilbey and her chorus Accentus plus the juvenile voices from La Maîtrise de Paris, Berlioz had soft curves and beautiful slow rocking choral tunes. I simply loved it all. It was such a peaceful and dramatic musical evening. Vesselina 's voice was perhaps unexpected there. She managed to keep her natural passion to serve the purpose of the biblical tale and its strange atmosphere, I thought she participated in giving a natural version, almost like a naïve and moving tale, not a religious one with that special spirit of Christmas, almost like Dicken's tale. Herode, in his beautiful aria 'O misère de Rois'sounded more like a sad philosoher, not the dreadful tyrant he really was. At the Interlude, this duet between harp and flute at the Good Man's house for a peaceful rest after the nightmare of the Flight to Egypt, Laurence Equilbey smiled at us and the solists, turned back, and sat on her stand, enjoying this chamber music like us: a moment of bliss for the conductor! The audience was very cheerful. I was really pleased to actually meet Vesselina Kasarova ( next to me was sitting a true fan of hers who took me to her dressing-room door, sometimes there are strange lucky coincidence in this artistic world). Such a beautiful person, natural, looking at you straight in the eyes! Wonderful! I asked permission for this photo. (another fan standing at the back of the picture).
I will see her in Alcina at the TCE at the end of November.I can't wait...
Pleyel programme : Berlioz L'enfance du christ (notes in french).
And perhaps not the last rose of summer for Vesselina, I can hear her sing this tune...
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