Olyrix “be classical” theatrical and triumphant with Roberto Alagna Salle Gaveau Olyrix

The organizer of the evening, Jesse Mimeran, announcing the evening concert and the star, wishes a beautiful moment to the public who came in large numbers and also invites him, with a form of touching candor, to make his feedback on this initiative at theComing from the concert to stop improving it.Advice has in any case visibly borne fruit between the first BE Classical and this second meeting even if it still retains a small part of artistic vagueness (no wait, however at the entrance to the room or for the start of the concert, which is remarkable since the gauge is almost full and that a good part of the spectators must be placed yourself by inspecting the numbers engraved on the seats, before an opener arrives in extremis to distribute to the cantonadeLeaflets with the program, in an atmosphere there still nice).

The artistic concept of this series "Be Classical", consisting in changing lights on stage according to music, however always leaves perplexed (as evidenced by the comments of the spectators). Far from anyone who has the idea of ​​comparing the use of these neon tubes aligned with what Bob Wilson can do with it with Turandot in Bastille (moreover, the arrangement of the tubes here in Gaveau draws lines that would evoke well More the diadem of Claude Lévêque who crowned the Bastille for the anniversary of the Paris Opera in 2019, while the tribute to Garnier's anniversary was this week to look for in Reims). Ideas are not comparable because the neon lights of "be classical", presented as a "amazing and collective studio scenography" are the difficult (if not impossible) mission to follow and evoke the colors and intensities of music by Chromatic variations and changes in movements: if the lights vary little they then doubt their usefulness, if the lights change a lot they risk disturbing the attention of listening. Paradoxically, and even if they know how to follow the changes of intensity and rhythms of the music, it is when they stop that these lights seem the most effective, especially when the lights of the room also go out, making Red or blue neon lights a sea of ​​blood or water and plunging all the better in the night when all go out.

The second chance and the second breath of this initiative as well as all its colors are in any case fully illustrated by Roberto Alagna, throughout this concert. The tenor takes this evening in particular his revenge on the Otello de Bastille where he had lost his voice, which he manifests with his tight fists then his raised hands crowned his glorious treble in "ora e per sempre" (as he crown all its exhilarating and extinguels of a large gesture of the hand). Not only does he also take his revenge on the Otello finale in bis but also on a piece of this recital itself: he sings again in bis the prologue of Pagliacci, explaining not to be fully satisfied with the way in which he 'had sang at the start of this concert. Difficult, however, even for those who know this song well, to point out an obvious error that he would have made, in this inaugural song as in all this concert except the treble of the tenor which first appears a little tight. But the model and very ample articulation combines the artist's profession to make each intention an expressive choice: either by passing the treble in the sweetness, or by shortening the summits a little under the blow of emotion, Either by anticipating attacks and always with vocal dropouts which are its signature (these impulses with caesura between two notes, not only towards the treble but soon throughout its phrasing). The tenor thus deploys all its theatricality while the voice ends up completely heating, at the same time as it continues to put the public in a state of incandescence. This theatrical deployment is all the more intense since the tunes of the rich program are extracted from operas inspired by famous plays and theater characters: iphigenia in Gluck Tauride, Cyrano de Bergerac d'Alfano, Polyeucte de Gounod, Fedora de Giordano, Giulietta e Romeo de Zandonai, Pagliacci de Leoncavallo. Roberto Alagna thus defends as he did throughout his career, famous characters and works but also of the rarities of the repertoire to which he gave a second (or at least one new) luck and that he sings, like the rest, By heart and often even the eyes closed. He does so with a constant investment and infallible generosity manifested by the richness of his nuances, always with this solar color in the stamp. He does so with the Appassionato ensemble, very applied, involved (and applauded by the public). The qualities of soloists and overall musicians put themselves at the service of the score and the voice under the expressive and clear direction of Mathieu Herzog.

I have so much fresh basil that i’m having to come up with new ideas on how to use it.For Example, Tonight’s Menu… https://t.co/aplhetpquj

— Gabriela Sandigo Thu May 14 20:45:56 +0000 2020

The tenor very warmly applauded at the end of each air, and even each large acute (to the point that the cheers come to cover the orchestra) is ovationed at the end of the concert and recalled standing until offering five bis: "O sovereign, O judge, oh father "of the Massenet cid recalling his commitment to the French repertoire and continuing still and always to assert the voice which even rises towards the peaks and accents of" e Lucevan le Stelle "of Toscini (Puccini OperaBased as a fadora on a play written by Victorien Sardou for Sarah Bernhardt), before the final of Otello (Verdi) and again the prologue of Pagliacci, indeed unrecognizable of intensity, energy, a full -stricker full, and long.

The music and generosity of the tenor being for him too a family affair, his big daughter Ornella comes to offer her flowers as she did in this same room 20 years ago."The flowers were larger than it", recalls the tenor who also invites his mother for an embrassade, then he nodded in a religious silence and in fifth bis a "little Corsican song" with which he puts his smallest girl sleeping, with which he rocks and says good night to a unanimously conquered audience.

Be classical or not to be: this is not the question.