Ravel, Berlioz and Casadesus come to Shanghai

This Thursday at 7.30 pm, the Lille National Orchestra will perform at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center Concert Hall. The show is part of the "Croisements" festival organized by the French Embassy. Formed in 1976, Lille is a very famous orchestra in France and is currently directed and conducted by Jean Claude Casadesus. In August 1997, Casadesus and the orchestra were the first artists to perform in the newly retroceded Hong Kong. And 10 years later, they came back for the French May of Hong Kong, and they will also stop by Beijing (they will perform in the Forbidden City) and Shanghai.

And who is this Jean Claude Casadesus? He is one of the most famous French conductors in the world. According to the website dedicated to his family (they are all artists!):

In 1969, he was hired as a permanent conductor at the Paris Opera and at the Opéra Comique. He participated, in 1971, in the creation of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Loire Region [the birthplace of your humble Shanghaiist writer]. He was its deputy director until 1976. He then created the Lille National Orchestra and became its director. He has since devoted most of his time to this orchestra. Under his direction, it has become, through its repertoire and its dynamism, one of the foremost French orchestras.

So, what will be on the menu for this performance? Some Berlioz en entree ("Carnaval Romain", "Les Nuits d'Ete"), en plat principal Chen Gang with "Morning on Mia Mountain", and Maurice Ravel as a dessert ("Tzigane", "La Valse" and of course "Bolero").

The tickets range from RMB100 to RMB500. Tip: If you say you come in the name of the French Consulate, you will get a 10% discount. So smile and say with your best French accent: "Sar-ko-zyyyy"!!

Shanghai Oriental Art Center, May 17, 7.30pm. Reservations: (021) 6232 8310, or sham@shcitydance.com, jiangy@shcitydance.com.