Orchestra National de France and Choire at Palais de Congres, Paris for Verdi Grandissima. In the center conductor Daniele Gatti and his concertmaster Sarah Nemitanu. Photo: Henning Høholt

The French National Orchestra and the French Radio Choir, conducted by its Italien chief conductor Daniele Gatti  marked the end of the French celebrations of the 150´year for a united Italy at Palais des Congres with a very good program, full of only music, ouvertuess and choires from a lot of operas by Giuseppe Verdi.

Of course the Palais des Congres is not ideal for such a kind of concert, with microfon and laudspeakers, and tv cameras and tv photographers sneaking around between the musicians and in fornt of the stage and twisting around like a helicopter in the roof, but with no disturbing sound at all.  But after a few numbers we have got used to it, and it became  a good concert, and the most of all, the audience enjoyed it very much.

For the opening we enjoyed the ouverture for Louisa Miller, followed by two choire pieces from I Lombardi, then Ballabille from Macbeth and the first part ended with Peoples choir from Don Carlos

.

After the break Nabucco was openening the second part with the overture and Va Pensiero
. Followed with the beautiful ouverture for I Vespri Siciliani. The another Ballabille from Othello and ending with the famous Triumphal marche, balletmusic and choir from AIda.

As enchore the first act choire from Othello.

The orchestra playes very well. We enjoyed very many beautiful sounding soloist details in the orchestra, and honestly I was very impressed of the piccolo flute, he was brilliant, allways laying on the top with the most virtuose and intricate details. BRAVO.

The choire sings beautiful, a wide good sound, the groups well organized and very well rehearsed by their choire master Matthias Brauer. Sarah Nemitanu was concert master.