Curtain calls to remind me where I was.

Simon Boccanegra: Nice opera house. Very nice cast. My favourite one:Carlo Colombara. Lulu: La Monnaie de Munt. Another blow from Alban Berg seen through Krzysztof Warlikowski's eyes, and it is always taking me to the limits of myself. The music, the singing and the opera house (very relaxed,welcoming atmosphere, beautiful house for the sound, compared to Paris)are certainly the best. Barbara Hannigan is my first and undoubtedly my unique Lulu, a smashing artist I would like to see again in this role. It is on the opera site until the 28th and it is really worth watching again and again. In fact I am going to Toulouse on the 23rd to catch another" Written on skin". It has been on my mind ever since the discovery of G. Benjamin's opera at Aix Festival. Jonas Kaufmann: Gala recital, Nice opera house. I remember writing that roaring audience in Shanghai were a surprise! But on Nov the 9th the whole house was delirious with sheer happiness, cheering, shouting, asking for favourite encores at one point, and Jonas Kaufmann kept smiling, not bouncing of delight like Rolando Villazon does in similar situations, just thanking and smiling then singing like a god! He is not really my type of tenor, but I was surprised he ended the concert with "catari, catari' which I do not consider as a masterpiece but just a sweet tune! it was nice and a bit exotic to my ears!(sung by Tino Rossi in my youth). His Lohengrin was amazing, and for me it was the best part of the recital. As for the musicians, they were not as refined as for Simon Boccanegra, perhaps too thrilled to be with this great tenor. The first violin gave us a tantalising 'Méditations de Thaïs", another tube!