Day 6 - Symphony at Kings Theater, Versailles

It's scorching today. As with everywhere in Paris, no one has A/C. If I'm going to sweat might as well sweat off French pastry goodness. Let's see what delicious things are around the area.

I'll take two of everything

Prices are really reasonable for how big items are

Another shop, more goodness

 
I remember one Christmas my mom received various classical performances as part of a cd set. Me being a kid I'd borrow the baroque composers one all the time. Something about that music just spoke to me.

There are three things that made this current trip which might make this the most special of all trips I've taken. Tonight is the event that clinched the magic of the excursion. The other year I took a behind scenes tour of Versailles and got to see the Kings Theater. Built so the king wouldn't have to go to Paris to have performances, today they regularly have opera, ballet and orchestral performances in the exact same hall the the King enjoyed them in. Unlike the Paris Opera where anything can be performed only pieces that were made during the high Renaissances period can be displayed.

Looking from the stage to where the king sat (second to top balcony, center)

When I learned of the musical pieces that would be performed I had to delay my time leaving Paris so I could experience this. I'm told acoustics are so perfect that performers have never needed microphones. There are no words I can fully write to express how excited I am for this evening.

Yes I booked seats in the dead center, the day they went on sale, where the King sat.

The church is still under renovation thus the tarping

The walk past the chapel to the theater

Original doors that lead you into the chapel

This is an amazing lineup

Random statues lines the hallway headed to the theater

Not bad seats

Apparently this is one of the largest orchestras that have visited in some time

Just... yeah... that view

This is a historic theater. You experience a show like they did back in the day. Translation: no A/C. Yes I brought this fan.

This gives you an idea how small the place is. Balcony only have two rows of seats

A gorgeous set of chandlers too

It was so hot tonight the performers had to take jackets off. Strings on the harp snapped before starting

Tonight's Presentation
The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic orchestra has held a choice position in the international music world for more than 160 years, with its skillful alliance of tradition and modernity. As such, it has played a central role in the interpretation of major symphonies and many world creations took place in the Principality of Monaco, Penelope by Gabriel Fauré and The Child and the Enchantments by Maurice Ravel, to quote but two.
Monaco is also one of the world’s dance capital and the Monte-Carlo Ballets and its director choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot carry on the grand Monegasque tradition of the Russian Ballets, introduced by Serge de Diaghilev at the beginning of last century.

For this gala evening, the prestigious orchestra which has never played before at the Versailles Royal Opera will be conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi, who performs every year with his Ensemble Matheus. In the programme of this concert celebrating dance, extracts from Nutcracker and Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, the genius composer who transformed the world of ballet forever and also Brahms’s Hungarian Dances, and their strong folklore inspiration and pieces by Johan Strauss, also strongly linked to the Austrian-Hungarian tradition of the end of the 19th century. Dance is one of the most primitive form of artistic expression, from its popular origin it found its way to European courts where composers turned it to high art.

PROGRAMME

Piotr Ilitch Tchaïkovski (1840-1893)
Nutcracker, suite n°1, opus 71a
Swan Lake, orchestral suite, opus 20a

Intermission

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hungarian Dances n°1
Hungarian Dances n°4 in F sharp minor
Hungarian Dances n°5 and n°6 (orchestration Albert Parlow)

Johann Strauss (1825-1899)
Eljen a Magyar, fast Polka opus 332




I'll admit, I cried at spots during Tchaïkovski. The group was that good. The conductor was funny. At the end he added a "bonus" song (above) which was an audience participation piece. Yes yes there were signs everywhere not to record this, I'll take my chances on this small clip.


They received a standing ovation. A lady sat next to me who attends every performance. Apparently the French do not like to give ovations. Tonight was the first time she had done it herself.

Yup, found my happy place.

10:30pm, show is over

What an amazing night. If nothing else great happens during the trip tonight I'm satisfied.