Season report 1 06 In figures 08 Major dates 10 The artistic project 12 Portfolio 44 The Opera and young audiences 54 The Opera innovates 62 The Opera modernises 68 2015/2016 quantified assessment 2 Meet the challenge ! At the beginning of last year, the presentation of the Paris Opera’s 2015/16 This season was denoted by extremely strong moments. In addition to the season was dedicated to audacity, for our artists and all the Opera’s teams, but also for performances in themselves, and to the many new productions of which I will not bring audiences, encouraged to come through the doors of the Palais Garnier and the Opéra up one in particular here, I recall first and foremost the Pre-openings reserved for young Bastille. The first season under a new management team is always a singular moment, audiences, for I see in them an efficient means to open our doors: nearly 60% of these an encounter, a discovery of others, of their expectations, of their dreams, and this is younger audience had never been to the Opera, and our mission now is to keep them with us. particularly true at the Paris Opera, with its numerous, diverse, and open audiences. The free concert for the Fête de la musique – another first for the Opera – is part of the same will for openness. I am also elated about the birth of the Opera Academy in September 2015, The time has come to look back on the past season with this report, the and about the progress that our institution has made over a few months on social media and, presentation and content of which are entirely renovated. The following pages offer an on a more original note, on our 3e Scène. However, I regret that the season was dotted with interactive journey through the season, supplemented with multimedia content, a portfolio several strike days, with heavy consequences for our audiences, our artists, and even our of images that have remained impressed on our memories, and the usual facts and figures. institution’s books. The first, very comforting observation is that audiences have answered the call. Despite the deep pleasure that retrospection brings, I prefer to turn towards the Despite the tragic circumstances that have since January 2015 kept away from theatres a future and the 2016/17 season, which has gotten underway. It identifies as part of a long- part of the audiences, and notably of foreign publics, our two theatres have very often been term continuity: that of artistic cycles opened last year (French opera, Berlioz, Wagner…) full, on average at 92.5% of capacity; in other words almost 803,000 filled seats, meaning and of many new productions (about twenty as opposed to a dozen of returns), also that of a 64.1 million euro turnover in ticketing. The development of sponsorship (+30%) and state audience enlargement and of the deepening of certain actions, especially in the digital field. support complete the Opera’s resources. I wish to all a good read and, especially, a good 2016/17 season. stéphane lissner Director of the Paris oPera 4 5 In figures In figures The productions Audiences The Academy 95.7 and ticketing million euros (excluding tax) 376 30 of state subsidies performances of which : 802,921 resident artists 182 opera performances spectators, 1,858 employees in 2015 179 ballet performances throughout all theatres 70 (monthly FTE average workforce) Young Audiences (of which 10 Ballet School of which 1 ,488 employees in (Jeune Public) performances) fixed-term contracts and 92.5 % performances 15 concerts (2 of which at of seats filled 370 in permanent contracts the Philharmonie) and recitals 23,088 The budget Sponsorship young people under 28 18 at the Pre-openings new productions 211 13 (8 operas, 1 opera/ballet million euros of million euros in and 9 ballets) 556,185 initial budget for 2016, sponsorships, as well as : visitors at the Palais Garnier investments aside 158,000 14 euros in skills-based productions from the repertoire 365 55 % sponsorships partner cinema theatres own-source revenue in which productions in 2016, that is to say 360,000 12 are screened (of which 250 in a 50 % progression euros in Pre-openings for young audiences France and 115 abroad) in 7 years (2010-2016) investments 6 7 Major dates Major dates November 16 February 24 June 18 Homage to the victims The Orchestra and Chorus of the The Paris Opera 2015 of the November 13 attacks Opera, directed by Philippe Jordan, Orchestra tours are distinguished at the in Toulouse September December 8 Victoires awards for classical music June 18 Installation of new Inauguration April 10 surtitle screens of the giant screen Signing of the Contract Vernissage of the 3e Scène at the Opéra Bastille at Place de la Bastille for Objectives and the Palais Garnier exhibit at the Fonds Hélène & and Performance Édouard Leclerc in Landerneau with Minister of Culture September 13 April 19 Audrey Azoulay Subscribers’ day 2016 Schönberg concert by the June 21 September 15 Orchestra and Chorus of the Opera at the Paris Philharmonie Free concert for the e Opening of the 3 Scène January 5 Fête de la musique, directed May 11 by Philippe Jordan September 22 Reception of the Batsheva Dance Company The Paris Opera Ballet tours First Pre-opening in Brest June 28 for young audiences at the Palais Garnier Inauguration of the February 4 June 15 eastern façade of the September 24 Vernissage of the « American Palais Garnier’s circle of light Opening Gala Aurélie Dupont named choreographers » exhibit at the of the ballet season Director of Dance Palais Garnier July 12 Signing of the « Opera October 20 February 20 June 17 for me too » convention Opening night of Last performance of « Ten Months of School and Opera » with Sarcelles « Moses und Aron » Danseur Étoile Benjamin Pech 25-year anniversary performance et Garges-lès-Gonesse 8 9 The artistic project The artistic project OPERA • BALLET • CONCERT OPERA • BALLET • CONCERT New productions Repertoire Concerts Opening Gala of the ballet Le Sacre du printemps – RIGOLETTO MADAMA BUTTERFLY ROMÉO ET JULIETTE CONCERTS season Pina Bausch Giuseppe Verdi Giacomo Puccini Rudolf Nureyev ARNOLD SCHÖNBERG / CLEAR, LOUD, BRIGHT, FORWARD Music by Igor Stravinsky Directed by Claus Guth Directed by Robert Wilson Music by Serguei Prokofiev GUSTAV MAHLER Benjamin Millepied Music by Nico Muhly VOL RETOUR PLATÉE MAGUY MARIN BALLET SCHOOL ARNOLD SCHÖNBERG THEME AND VARIATIONS Joanna Lee Jean-Philippe Rameau Les applaudissements Conservatoire – Pierrot lunaire opus 21 George Balanchine Directed by Katie Mitchell Directed by Laurent Pelly ne se mangent pas – Maguy Marin August Bournonville String quartet opus 10 Music by Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovski Music by Holger-Simon Paulli PARIS OPERA BALLET DÉFILÉ LA DAMNATION DE FAUST Music by Denis Mariotte DON GIOVANNI ARNOLD SCHÖNBERG Music by Richard Wagner Hector Berlioz Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Les Forains – Roland Petit Gurre-Lieder Directed by Alvis Hermanis LEAR Directed by Michael Haneke Music by Henri Sauguet BORIS CHARMATZ Aribert Reimann Piège de lumière – John Taras SERGUEI PROKOFIEV / MAURICE 20 dancers for the 20th century IL TROVATORE Directed by Calixto Bieito L’ELISIR D’AMORE Music by Jean-Michel Damase Giuseppe Verdi Gaetano Donizetti RAVEL / MODEST MUSSORGSKY MOSES UND ARON Directed by Alex Ollé PECK / BALANCHINE Directed by Laurent Pelly DER ROSENKAVALIER Arnold Schönberg Entre Chien et Loup – Justin Peck Richard Strauss LA BAYADÈRE Directed by Romeo Castellucci BEL / ROBBINS Music by Francis Poulenc Directed by Herbert Wernicke Rudolf Nureyev Creation by Jérôme Bel Brahms-Schönberg Quartet Music by Ludwig Minkus ANNE TERESA DE KEERSMAEKER Les variations Goldberg Recitals George Balanchine GISELLE Quatuor n° 4 Jerome Robbins Music by Johannes Brahms WERTHER Jean Coralli / Jules Perrot Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker Music by Johann Sebastian Bach NATHALIE DESSAY soprano / and Arnold Schönberg Jules Massenet Music by Adolphe Adam Music by Béla Bartók PHILIPPE CASSARD piano Directed by Benoît Jacquot Die Grosse Fuge DIE MEISTERSINGER VON WILLIAM FORSYTHE LA TRAVIATA Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker NÜRNBERG ELĪNA GARANČA mezzo-soprano / Of Any If And – William Forsythe CAPRICCIO Music by Ludwig van Beethoven Richard Wagner Giuseppe Verdi Richard Strauss MALCOLM MARTINEAU piano Verklärte Nacht Directed by Stefan Herheim Music by Thom Willems Directed by Benoît Jacquot Approximate Sonata – Directed by Robert Carsen Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker RENÉ PAPE bass / Music by Arnold Schönberg IOLANTA / THE NUTCRACKER William Forsythe IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA AIDA CAMILLO RADICKE piano Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovski Music by Thom Willems Gioacchino Rossini Giuseppe Verdi BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE Directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov Blake Works I – William Forsythe Directed by Damiano Michieletto Directed by Olivier Py DIANA DAMRAU soprano / Béla Bartók Music by James Blake HELMUT DEUTSCH piano LA VOIX HUMAINE RATMANSKY / BALANCHINE / Francis Poulenc ROBBINS / PECK Directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski Seven Sonatas – Alexei Ratmansky Invited companies RENÉE FLEMING soprano / Music by Domenico Scarlatti PHILIPPE JORDAN piano WHEELDON / Duo concertant – BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET MCGREGOR / BAUSCH George Balanchine Ohad Naharin Anna-Marie Holmes Polyphonia – Music by Igor Stravinsky Music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Christopher Wheeldon Other Dances – Jerome Robbins Music by Adolphe Adam, Brian Eno, Chari Chari, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Music by György Ligeti Music by Frédéric Chopin Kid 606 + Rayon, AGF, Chronomad, Riccardo Drigo, Alea Sands – Wayne McGregor In Creases – Justin Peck Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks Music by Pierre Boulez Music by Philip Glass Prince Pyotr van Oldenburg, ROSAS Ludwig Minkus, Yuly Gerber, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker Baron Boris Fitinhof-Schnell, Music by Gérard Grisey Albert Zabel 10 11 Portfolio 13 OPENING GALA OF THE BALLET SEASON « Sumptuous gala lays out the road being taken The Opening Gala of the ballet season assembles the Étoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Ballet Company with the participation of the Ballet School, as well as the Orchestra of the Paris Opera.