Opera Nationale de Paris

Monday 24 March, was our first non sight-seeing day since coming to Paris. We slept in, ate breakfast and lunch at home and went shopping. In other words another great day! In the evening we went to the opera. The new opera house on the Place de Bastille looks ordinary by day – although I still like the building unlike Edmund White. But at night it looks spectacular.


It also looks great inside. We had good seats although it took us two goes to get to the right ones. There are helpful people on the doors but no ushers inside. We sat next to a French couple and after asking for confirmation we were in the right seats were directed to others a couple of rows down. Where we had an even better view of stage and orchestra. And of the conductor, who was a big fellow wearing tails.


The place was full after the first Act which is when they let in the late-comers. People were a bit more dressed up, than at the Wagner concert but it’s all pretty relaxed and anything goes. Everyone is wearing coats and scarves that have to be discarded as soon as you get into the building. A beautifully produced programme of over a hundred pages of interesting content (in French) and reasonably priced unlike the over-priced advertisements we get at home.

The opera was very well done. Set in nineteen thirties Paris (by Jonathan Miller) so brought to mind the artists and writers of that period who we have been thinking of. It was the last night for the performers in the major roles who are to be replaced by others for the remainder of the season which goes to 11 April. In fact there are three sets of Principals but one lot may be understudies. Ours were: Maria Greste as Mimi, Stefano Secco as Rodofo and Brigitta Kele as Musetta. Most of the other roles were to be filled by the same singers including Ludovic Tezier as Marcello. They were all terrific and the audience greeted each major aria with enthusiastic applause. And there were multiple curtain calls at the end. In fact the performers stayed on stage until well after people had started leaving. Another great experience.

We walked home afterwards. At about ten-thirty. It wasn’t as cold as it had been during the day but still too cold to be sleeping rough and we see quite a few people doing that. Sometimes in pairs or groups. Last night it looked as though there was a couple with a young baby sleeping at the end of our street. A bit distressing. There are also quite a few beggars on the streets and in the Metro tunnels by day.