conductor
Centre Culturel Jean Vilar (Marly-le-Roi) – November 6th 2020 – 8:30 PM
The infamous philosophical tale of Candide is an epic legend, a voyage across the world. A world where humans are propelled from place to place by their thoughts and intentions. Reflecting on this text, I was fascinated by its contemporary resonance. The natural catastrophes, the shipwrecks at sea, the excess of injustice and intolerance, fanaticism … these could all be newspaper headlines of our time. Situated among our contemporary themes of European unity, human rights and the environment, revisiting the story of Candide has real urgency and purpose.
Leonard Bernstein infuses the adaptation with a disarming sense of humor and an exceptional original score. Taking this piece out of its iconic context to make it more accessible and contemporary would allow Voltaire’s message to shine through. Even though the singing will remain in English, the spoken text will be adapted into French. What is more exciting than a boxing match between Voltaire and Bernstein, to pitch French philosophical thought against American optimism?
Levallois – Salle Ravel – November 29th 2020 – 8:30 PM
Premiered in Padua and Venice in 1805, it presents a lighter version of the same material – “a farsa sentimentale” by the master from Ingolstadt, who is also known as the father of bel canto. David Stern and Opera Fuoco will feature its studio singers and period-instrument orchestra from Paris in bringing this well-crafted and amusing work back to life.
Donizetti Festival – Teatro Sociale, Bergamo (Italy) – December 4th 2020 – 8:30 PM
To end the European tour of Mayr’s l’Amor Conjugale, David Stern will conduct a concert performance in the beautiful Bergamo’s Teatro Sociale. This premiere in Italy will be a strong tribute to Mayr, who was Bergamo’s official musician and Donizetti’s mentor.
Season 2019/20
Date: 6th November 2020
Time: 20h30
Location: Centre Culturel Jean Vilar - Marly-le-Roi
More info
2020/21
Candide – Étienne Duhil de Benaze
Cunégonde – Milena Bischoff
Old Lady – Anne-Lise Polchlopek
Maximilian – Olivier Bergeron
Paquette – Cécile Madelin
Pangloss/Voltaire – Matthieu Walendzik
The Governor/Vander Dendur – Marco Angioloni
Actor – François Macherey
Piano – Karolos Zouganelis
Musical direction – David Stern
Stage direction – Catherine Vrignaud-Cohen
Date: 29th November 2020
Time: 20:30
Location: Salle Ravel - Levallois
Giovanni Simone Mayr
L’Amor conjugale – concert version
European tour
Zeliska (Malvino) – Chantal Santon Jeffery Amorveno – Andres AgudeloArdelao – Bastien Rimondi Peters – Olivier Gourdy Floreska – Natalie Pérez Moroski – Adrien Fournaison
Musical direction – David Stern Opera Fuoco orchestra
Date: 4th December 2020
Time: 20:00
Location: Teatro Sociale - Bergamo
David Stern's musical leadership is spread across three continents. Whether conducting a major symphony orchestra, baroque opera, teaching vocal master classes or defending cultural activities, Stern keeps his musicians, students and audiences riveted by sharing his strong musical convictions, his flexibility of approach and his belief that music is relevant and indeed essential in today's world. He is the founder and director of the Paris-based opera studio and period-instrument ensemble Opera Fuoco, as well as artistic adviser and chief conductor of the Shanghai Baroque Festival and chief conductor of the Palm Beach Opera in Florida.
Grammophone magazine’s review of David Stern’s recording with NDR Radiophilharmonie and Ania Vegry of Gassmann’s rare opera arias and scenes: “Conductor David Stern draws alert playing from the NDR Radiophilharmonie. “
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/gassmann-opera-arias-ania-vegry
“After the conclusion of the famous Overture to Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Palm Beach Opera chief conductor David Stern invited the orchestra to stand to receive the applause. (…) The Overture, fortunately, was not marred by any madcap antics on stage, full of crisp string playing, such as in the mock-sinister minor-key theme that sounds like snipping barber scissors. (…) Stern led a spirited performance, with thumps of drums and cymbals, through crescendos and accelerandos, that gave the opera a propulsive start.”
David Fleshler
” (…) Chief Conductor David Stern brings out the score’s varied moods, contrasting the chaotic populace with the contemplative reminiscences of the trio of officials, Ping, Pang and Pong, and the pathos of the plight of Timur and Liù.”
David M.Rice – Classical Source
Florian Leopold Gassmann – Ah, ingrato Amor (Opera arias & sinfonias) – CPO, 2020
Ania Vegry / David Stern & NDR Radiophilharmonie
`New releaseOPERA FUOCO – APARTÉ
Opera Fuoco’s latest recording features three former members of the Opera Fuoco studio, Lea Desandré, Natalie Perez, Chantal Santon and the Opera Fuoco orchestra conducted by David Stern. Berenice, che fai? is a compilation of late Baroque and early Classical works based principally on Metastasio’s famous 18th-century opera scene « Ah Berenice » from his opera Antigono.
Not only was the scene set to music by such composers as Haydn and Hasse, but also by Antonio Maria Mazzoni and Marianna Martinez, a composer of Spanish descent who was widely connected to the Viennese music scene and, for a time, lived in the same noble house as Metastasio and Haydn at Grosse Michelstrasse. The young Mozart’s concert aria « Berenice » and Johann Christian Bach’s aria « Confusa, smarrita» from the composer’s lost pasticcio opera, Berenice, as well as Hasse’s Antigono overture complement the program.
Cherubini, Boisselot, Hérold
Karine Deshayes / Opera Fuoco