Palais Garnier sub-titles/surtitles

[Guest]

Does anyone know if these are usually shown both in English and French (for an Italian opera) or just French?

I have a sinking feeling that they might just be only in French.

Many thanks.

[Nick Armstrong]

Does anyone know if these are usually shown both in English and French (for an Italian opera) or just French?

I have a sinking feeling that they might just be only in French.

Many thanks.

Pretty sure you are right - went to Alcina there a while back and there were no bilingual subtitles, to the best of my recollection (and I think I would have been struck by it, had there been)... Will be talking to a regular Garnier-goer later today, I'll try and remember to ask about current practice.

[BetweenTheStaves]

Thanks, Caliban. Now where's my Larousse?

[Flosshilde]

I've only been to the Bastille, & that was for a French opera. But I can't imagine that the French would have anything in English!

[BetweenTheStaves]

Le weekend?

[Nick Armstrong]

Touché !

[BetweenTheStaves]

After having the privilege to be at last nights premier of Giulio Cesare I can confirm that the surtitles are, indeed, in French. I won't attempt to provide any meaningful musical critique as I do not have the qualifications, the experience, expertise or ability to do it justice. However, I can say that we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The staging is very clever...setting the opera inside a musty old Egyptian museum warehouse. Singing was without exception very fine as was the orchestra on period instruments under the hands of Emmanuelle Haïm. There were a few lighting hiccups and at times I thought that the lighting levels were a bit too low. On occasion I felt that the balance between orchestra and singers was too much in favour of the orchestra. It was the first time that I'd heard live any of the singers and would willingly hear them all again especially Natalie Desay. All in all, sublime.

One unexpected bonus was that they open up many of the adjacent rooms for viewing in the Palais Garnier only on premiere nights.

And I can't ignore the other unexpected bonus on the Sunday which was the 11th Traverse de Paris of old vintage, veteran and not so old classic cars of every type.

EDIT: Maybe, after reading the review in the FT, Francis Carlin, was having an off day?

[Chris Newman]

I've only been to the Bastille, & that was for a French opera. But I can't imagine that the French would have anything in English!

A shame really. In Prague the National Theatre has them in Czech and English for opera and theatre.

[BetweenTheStaves]

It seems par for the course. for example, when they broadcast Walkure from Bayreuth, the subtitles were only in German. As it was via the internet, I would have thought that having the option to choose English (since that language is virtually lingua franca) would have been worthwhile.

[Flosshilde]

betweenthestaves - glad you enjoyed it, despite the French surtitles! The Palais Garnier must be spectacular, & I think it makes the evening extra-special if you get a bonus as you did. I'll always remember going to a (free) concert at La Fenice in Venice & finding myself sitting in the Ducal Box.