‘Karine Deshayes’

‘Operatic Artist of the Year’ for the second time in 2016 at the Victoires de la Musique Classique in France, acclaimed in opera houses worldwide, the mezzosoprano Karine Deshayes is equally superb in baroque music, in Mozart and Rossini operas and in French mélodies. The richness and range of her voice combine opulence and elegance with an incomparable flexibility and freshness. For her first performance at La Monnaie, she treats us to an original recital, designed with the clarinettist Philippe Berrod to intertwine her voice with the timbre of the clarinet. They are accompanied by the pianist Tristan Pfaff in a programme in which the three instruments interact in Classical and whimsical pieces. Karine Deshayes has already brought together Fauré and Wagner in a recording that is both unusual and convincing. The new musical blend in this live performance promises some delightful surprises.