Saturday, February 5th 230 AM Last week I made a few notes about Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the architect of the opera house at Versailles. Gabriel had mastered one style (the voluptuous Rococo of Louis XV) and created a new one (the opulent classicism of Louis XVI). Towards the end of his career he rejected the sinuous and undulating decorations of the Rococo for fluted columns … [Read more...] about Stripping away Rococo excess—The Music of Monsigny-The Libretto of Sedaine.
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Opening Night at Versailles
Saturday, February 4th at 8 PM Traditions and customs differ. In France, at the Opera de Versailles the orchestra is not allowed to enter the pit, to warm up on their instruments, until 5 minutes before the curtain rises. In America we all mosey into our places, run a few scales, play a difficult excerpt, look into the audience for old friends and attractive new faces, and … [Read more...] about Opening Night at Versailles
The Little Theater of the Queen
Saturday, February 4, 2012 Of course you remember the Andy Hardy movies, or scenes from The Little Rascals in which a group of energetic, talented (Judy Garland) or bumbling (Alfalfa), amateur performers exclaimed, let’s “Put on a show”. The old barn flashes across their minds and soon the cows are out and the piano is in! While Louis XIV stopped dancing in public on … [Read more...] about The Little Theater of the Queen
Taking our place at Versailles
Saturday, February 4, 2012 3 AM Sitting in my hotel room, unable to sleep, and aware that something magnificent has happened for all of the musicians of Opera Lafayette this afternoon. We performers love what we do. We cherish the music we play, written by great geniuses and offering so much wealth for the spirit, so much understanding and meaning to our lives. We love … [Read more...] about Taking our place at Versailles
Stripping away the Rococo Excesses-The opera of Ange-Jacques Gabriel
When the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel was given the project of building an opera house for the Palace of Versailles, he accepted with trepidation. The plan for a Royal Opera has been in the minds of the courtiers for almost a century yet circumstances worked to stunt each effort to build it. The price of war more than anything else delayed construction. The wars were never … [Read more...] about Stripping away the Rococo Excesses-The opera of Ange-Jacques Gabriel