Adorned in a flowing red gown epitomizing Parisian glamour, Fabienne Conrad holds up her delicate hands towards her face and looks upward.She is singing an encore of Giulio Caccini’s Ave Maria.To this reviewer, she reminds of a Maria Callas video recording. We are suspended in the beauty of her song, such that we momentarily lose track of our sumptuous surrounds.
In Historic Sainte-Chapelle
We are in Paris’ historic Sainte-Chapelle.Stained glass windows are above, behind and around us.They feel like jewels too precious for a Tiffanys display.We have patiently waited in queue and gone through multiple security checks to arrive here. Conrad is the soloist of the evening.It’s not exactly an operas-greatest-hits program.With the exception of the accompanying Classic Ensemble throwing in an uptempo Bartok piece, the arias all seem to be selected to give the feel that they live in the church walls waiting to emerge in the sacred setting.
Choral Works at Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés
At a following performance at Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the church surrounds also stun.Here though, we are immediately struck by how ideal the location is for choral works as soon as Le Choeur Tempestuoso begins to sing.Their song follows the architectural lines, seeming to sweep our ears and gaze upwards towards imagined heavens.
This is a non-professional chorus with younger musician accompanists under the baton of Jean-Charles Dunand. If in moments the choral group seems a tad less tight and rehearsed, the sumptuous surrounds are forgiving.You are also in an audience thick with friends and family of the chorus members.We might not have even noticed any balance glitches until the sublime professional soprano soloists chimed in.Here too, the evening’s program — Vivaldi’s Gloria and Bach’s Magnificat — is tailor-made for the surrounds.
Photo: Sellier
Interior of Eglise Saint-Germain-Des-PrésPhoto courtesy of Euromusic Productions
Saint-Germain-Des-Prés celestial vaulted ceilingPhoto courtesy of Euromusic Productions
Solistes, another Euromusic ensemblePhoto courtesy of Euromusic Productions
Sainte Chapelle InteriorPhoto courtesy of Euromusic Productions
Soprano Fabienne Conrad Photo courtesy of Euromusic Productions
Euromusic Productions’ Posters Greet You Across Paris
You will see Euromusic Productions’ posters throughout Paris’ well-worn tourist paths. There seems to be a small army of support staff for the performing artists who tend to this publicity and site management during performances.They also sell CD recordings of many of their standard programs, such as the aria compilation performed by Conrad or other sopranos.
Photos by Peter Kachergis, unless otherwise indicated.
This story has been added to the Picture This Post roundup article on OPERAS WE LOVE. Watch this video preview here--
Amy Munice
About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
