Intermezzo

Natalie Dessay discusses her future

Chanson, microphones, theatre and yoga. Natalie Dessay discusses her future plans with SFist - and reveals that she hasn't closed the door on opera altogether:

"I only have Manon in Toulouse. After this, I don't know. In 2015, I am taking a sabbatical. I'm doing concerts, but I'll take a leave from the opera. After that, I don't know if I'll do it again, nor how. The last opera that I'm signed for is in October, after this I'm not signed on for anything."

"Until now, I didn't want to do recitals. But I discovered that I had things to express musically. In particular with French melodies and songs. I'll express myself this way. I'm coming next year to Cal Performances with Philippe Cassard, my pianist. I recorded the Debussy album with him. The program will be French and German. In the first part, Clara Schumann, Brahms, Fitzner [sic], Richard Strauss, then some Debussy, Faure, Duparc, Chausson, Chabrier. And in parallel, I'll do a lot of yoga and some theater, and sing some songs. For instance, I'll go on tour next year with Michel Legrand, and I'll do Michel Legrand songs. I'll sing with a mike, and not at all with my operatic voice. I like jazz a lot, but I'm not a jazz singer, alas. It's really a music I'd like to discover. And there's the French songs, Michel Legrand, Claude Nougaro, Maxime LeForestier."

Natalie Dessay quits

Natalie Dessay confirms to the San Francisco Examiner what her calendar has long suggested. Her Manon in Toulouse this September will be her last appearance on the operatic stage.

“There’s nothing left for me to sing. I’ve done most of the roles I could do. I don’t want to play Juliette. At my age? Please! Or Lucia or Adina or anything else like that. That’s why I’m quitting. You have to love your repertoire. For a while I thought it was fun, but no. On to something else.”

What kind of "something else?" Spoken theatre, as Dessay has mentioned countless times, is her real passion. But for the moment she's settling  for a French concert tour with Michel Legrand.

Pelleas et Melisande with Dessay and Keenlyside

Pelléas et Mélisande - Barbican, 19 April 2011

Pelléas et Mélisande is undoubtedly a tough opera to pull off, but a French orchestra and mostly French cast at least brought a bit of Gallic authenticity to the Barbican's concert version (as concocted for the Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris). With singers all parked behind music stands, Natalie Dessay's beaded gown provided the only visual reference to Debussy's opera. Crystals sparkled like stars on black chiffon above a hem embroidered with foaming waves - the dark night and the restless sea in a size 36.

Natalie Dessay nips out for some Handel

© Agathe Poupeney / Opéra national de Paris

Natalie Dessay donned a short wig and apparently not much else for Laurent Pelly's hotly-anticipated new production of Giulio Cesare, which opened at the Opéra Garnier last night.

Opera Cake was there and describes her performance as "absolutely fantastic....the best from Dessay so far".

La fille du regiment, Royal Opera House {{{LOL}}}

La Fille du régiment - Royal Opera House, 17 May 2010

This was my fifth or so viewing of Laurent Pelly’s now-classic production, and I have to confess – this time it was easier to understand how the cast get through the night without cracking up. The humour relies on visual gags which inevitably tire eventually - the line of dancing underpants, the housemaids’ choreographed dusting, even the final coup de theatre as Juan Diego Flórez rolls in to save the day atop a tank. Agathe Mélinand's crudely updated dialogue is hardly timeless either. But I could forgive the uncontrolled laughter of the other 99% of the audience – I was there once. And let’s face it, as comic operas go, La Fille du régiment is actually not that funny on the page nor musically inventive enough to compensate. It needs Pelly’s interventions more than it needs preserving in aspic.

Natalie Dessay in La Sonnambula live from Paris tonight

The Opéra National de Paris will be broadcasting La Sonnambula live online tonight at 7.30 CET (6.30 UK).

The new production features Natalie Dessay and Javier Camarena and will be coming to Covent Garden in the next couple of years.

Go here and follow the links to watch on the Paris Opera website or here to view on medici.tv.

It's not clear whether a video link will be available once the live stream is over, but that is usually the case.