French opera storms stages

Fantasia: Singers Alix Le Saux and Armelle Khourdoian will be accompanied by the Maitrise des Hauts-de-Sein choir under the baton of Gael Darchen. — Photo courtesy L'espace

HA NOI — Artists from the Paris National Opera Theatre will be making their Viet Nam debut by staging L'Enfant et les Sortileges (The Child and the Spells) tonight in Ha Noi and tomorrow in HCM City.

Soloists Alix Le Saux and Armelle Khourdoian will be accompanied by the Maitrise des Hauts-de-Sein choir under the baton of Gael Darchen.

The choir of 100 performers includes 12 leading singers and eight musicians.

They will be performing the The Child and the Spells during their tour of Southeast Asia.

The opera, composed by Maurice Ravel, was based on the text for a ballet by French novelist and performer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

Vietnamese overseas composer Nguyen Thien Dao said the opera was of tremendous artistic merit.

The one-act opera contains the classic elements of a fairytale. "It is a rare chance for Vietnamese artists to enjoy the work because it is one of the most famous modern French operas," Dao said.

The main roles of the child, the flame and the nightingale will be performed by mezzo-soprano Alix Le Saux and soprano Armelle Khourdoian. The opera was choreographed by Sophie Meary, with costume designed by Xu Ming.

Founded in 1970, the Maytrise des Hauts-de-Seine choir is made up of 300 boys and girls, 60 men (tenors and basses) and a mixed young choir of 40 students.

The Maitrise officially became the Paris Opera Children's Choir in 1995.

Under the direction of Gael Darchen, the Maitrise des Hauts de Seine vocal ensemble is both unique and multi-faceted: from lyrical solos to big oratorios, the Maitrise adapts with ease to any vocal format.

The Maitrise has performed in more than 30 countries on five continents.

Tickets for the performance cost VND200,000; 350,000 and 550,000 and are available at the box office on 1 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi. — VNS