Demystifying opera in Paris with a soprano superstar
A chat with Australian opera singer Siobhan Stagg who is town to perform at an iconic Paris theatre.
Hello folks,
This week The Earful Tower is going to the opera. Literally. To prepare, I talked to superstar Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg, who is in Paris to perform in Orlando at the Théâtre du Châtelet.
Siobhan helped me to demystify the opera, which can often feel like a rarified and unapproachable art form. You might wonder - is it for you? Where to start? Siobhan explains it all.
Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts, for a conversation that covered language, opera culture, and some of Siobhan’s favourite parts of Paris.
The episode is rounded off on a fun bonus chat with Bertrand from My Private Paris, describing his favourite Paris view - spoiler alert, it’s an unusual one…
You can also find the episode on iTunes or Spotify or via my website here.
From the middle of nowhere to the middle of Paris
Siobhan describes herself as growing up in the middle of nowhere, a six hour drive from Melbourne, in rural Australia. How remarkable to go from that far-flung place to singing in a world-famous theatre in the heart of Paris. Now, opera might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you’re considering a night out, but, as Siobhan says, “if you’re visiting Paris…going to the theatre is such a good way to do it. It’s a way to see how the locals live…It’s such a sense of community.”
Paris is an artistic hub
Siobhan explains that Paris makes opera pretty accessible, Parisians are spoilt for choice with no less than six venues to attend - Théâtre du Châtelet, Opéra Garnier, the Opéra de Bastille, Philharmonie de Paris, the boutique opera house at Versailles, as well as the lesser-known Opéra Comique, which is just a stone’s throw from the Opéra Garnier.
So why not give it a shot the next time you’re visiting? I asked Siobhan to recommend the best opera to jump into if you’re a newcomer. “The opera we’re doing this week, Orlando, is a good place to start because the music is beautiful. It’s not hard work to listen to. There’s nothing outrageous or hard to keep up with…No one likes to go to something and feel stupid.”
Check out the photos of the production below. Siobhan explains the different creative aspects of this particular incarnation of Orlando and I’m excited to see it later this week.
Théâtre du Châtelet
Perhaps you’ve not visited the Théâtre du Châtelet, but you’ve surely seen it - an iconic Parisian performance venue situated on the banks of the Seine. A beautiful example of 19th century Haussmannian architecture, it perfectly captures the luxury of that famous period of Paris history. Used for theatre, opera and now musical theatre, the Théâtre du Châtelet has recently hosted wildly-successful productions of West Side Story, Les Misérables and An American in Paris.
The interior is dazzling. As I mentioned in the episode, I snuck in to see it while I was watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony from the theatre’s balcony! (Short video here).
That’s all for this week. Find Siobhan Stagg on Instagram to follow her artistic adventures - and listen to her on Spotify here.
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See you there!