Special envoy to Athens
On this Sunday in mid-September, Athens was covered with a cloudy veil.
It is 9 pm, the rehearsal begins.
On the stage of the deserted Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the leader Jochen Rieder took off the jacket.
Jonas Kaufmann, him, takes the mask off.
For three hours, the tenorissima will string together great arias from Italian and French opera, interspersed with overtures.
It is almost midnight when a familiar melody announces the last tune:
E lucevan le stelle
.
Read also
In Rouen, the triumph of the Puccini effect
Under the starry vault, facing the illuminated Parthenon, Puccini's romance takes on its full meaning.
“All the Greeks with whom I spoke told me that here I was going to commune with the gods
, confided the singer a few minutes earlier.
They're right.
For any European, Athens refers to the foundations of culture.
Without Greece, we wouldn't be here.
In the lyrical domain either.
Consider how the early opera composers drew inspiration from ancient Greek theater. ”
Between the walls of Herodus Atticus we do not
This article is for subscribers only.
You have 86% left to discover.
To cultivate one's freedom is to cultivate one's curiosity.
Continue reading your article for € 1 the first month
I ENJOY IT
Already subscribed?
Log in
