A night out at the Opera in Paris

The excitement of the Opera is coming to Paris with a new production of Verdi's Don Carlo coming to the Bastille from tomorrow.

Although originally written as a five-act French production in 1867, the version on display in Paris will be a four-act Italian version from 1884.

Making his debut with the Opera National de Paris is Greek conductor Teodor Currentzis, who has previously worked with orchestras in Russia and was named Maestro of the Year by Moscow Press in 2005.

Those visiting Paris on a European city break who see Don Carlo are in for a fearsome ride, as the story is set against the Dutch rebellion of Spanish rile in the 16th century, and mixes high emotion with soaring music and political idealism.

The Opera National de Paris dates back to 1669, when Robert Cambert and Abbe Pierre Perrin were granted permission by Louis XIV to perform opera on the stage.

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