This will be the first in a long series of posts which will center around France. That country is going to be the epicenter of my life for a while as I will be conducting Porgy and Bess at the Opera de Lyon in May, rehearsals starting in early April. But that’s Lyon – this post is about Paris and those who used to walk the streets of the City of Lights.
I love the internet. Yesterday I searched for an image of the grave site of Lili Boulanger. Those who know me know that I am a huge devotee of the Boulanger sisters. Since I will have the chance to visit Paris several times during my stay in Lyon I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity and visit the Boulanger sisters, pay my respects. They are buried in the beautiful cemetery on Montmartre in central Paris. Turns out they are not alone.
This little cemetery holds so much musical history. Both Nadia and Lili are there of course. Hector Berlioz is just around the corner. But there are many, many others. Adolphe Adam, who penned “O Holy Night,” is there. The composer/conductor Andre Caplet is there as well, as is Leo Delibes. Lest we think it is only musicians who have the honor – both Alexander Dumas and Edgar Degas are interred there. Jean Foucault, Andre Jolivet, Gustav Moreau, Jacques Offenbach, Francis Picabia, Adolphe Sax, Vaslav Nikinsky ……. Montmartre Cemetery has 119 plots and a good 90 of those there would be considered famous in one way or another.
But it is a reflection of French society that there is such a breadth of professions amongst the inhabitants of the Montmartre Cemetery. I notice La Goulue, the famous Can-Can dancer; Patrick Pons, the famous Motorcycle racer; actors, politicians, scientists. A collection of souls that would have made the original Revolutionists proud.
So let this post be an introduction to the next 3 1/2 months where I shall be wrestling to bring the mess that is Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess to life. I love France, and I am very much looking forward to this project. I’ll just be keeping my fingers crossed that maybe…. just maybe….. when I get over there they won’t be on strike for some reason or another. Hey, one can always hope.