Newspress

Mayor Hidalgo presents a spectacular Bastille Day programme to be broadcast around the world

Following on from the immense success of the 2013 and 2014 editions, the Concert de Paris is back this year for Bastille Day. Some of the biggest names in classical music will be converging at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for this unforgettable event focused on the theme "Welcome to Paris".

At a press conference at the Eiffel Tower this week, Mayor Hidalgo announced that the theme for the 2015 festivities is "Paris bids a warm welcome to the world." "I think this theme reflects what Paris is about as well as forthcoming events like the COP21 Climate Conference, the Euro 2016 and of course our candidacy for the Olympic Games. References to all these events will feature in the fireworks display," she observed during the press conference.

The French National Orchestra, the Radio France choir, and the Radio France choir school under the direction of Daniele Gatti have prepared a varied and original programme this year. Drawn from the repertoires of some of the greatest composers of the past centuries including Mozart, Berlioz and Verdi as well as 20th century giants like Leonard Bernstein, Ennio Morricone and George Gershwin, the music will be performed by internationally renowned artists from France, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Italy and Bulgaria.

The event, jointly organised by Paris City Hall, France Télévisions, Radio France and produced by Electron Libre, will be broadcast live from 9:15pm on France 2 and France Inter, as well as by the European Broadcasting Union in over 20 countries worldwide.

The 2014 celebrations gathered 500,000 people at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and tens of millions of viewers across theworld. An event of similar scale is expected this year. "We are making every effort to offer the public a great show" said the Mayor. "It's going to be a wonderful evening."

Programme

HECTOR BERLIOZ La Damnation de Faust (Marche de Rákóczy)

LEONARD BERNSTEIN West Side Story (Mambo)

LEONARD BERNSTEIN Candide (Ouverture)

SERGUEÏ RACHMANINOV Vocalise with Julie Fuchs

CARL ORFF Carmina Burana (Tempus est iocundum - Finale) with the Radio France choir and choir school

GIUSEPPE VERDI Aida (Gloria all'Egitto) with the Radio France choir

GIACOMO PUCCINI Madame Butterfly (Un bel dì, vedremo) with Sonya Yoncheva

CHARLES LECOCQ Les cent vierges (O Paris, gai séjour de plaisir - Grande valse) with Sonya Yoncheva

GIACOMO PUCCINI Turandot (Nessun dorma) with Fabio Sartori and the Radio France choir

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Don Giovanni (La ci darem la mano) with Joyce DiDonato and Bryn Terfel

GIACOMO PUCCINI Tosca (Te Deum) with Bryn Terfel and the Radio France choir and choir school

GEORGE GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue (extrait) with Lang Lang

HAROLD ARLEN Somewhere over the rainbow (arrangement Chris Hazell) with Joyce DiDonat

ARAM KHATCHATOURIAN Danse du Sabre

GIUSEPPE VERDI Nabucco (Va pensiero)

ENNIO MORRICONE The Mission (Gabriel's oboe - The Falls) with Gautier Capuçon

FRITZ KREISLER Le tambourin Chinois with Ray Chen

JACQUES OFFENBACH Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Barcarolle) with Joyce DiDonato and Julie Fuchs

HECTOR BERLIOZ La Marseillaise with all the solo singers, and the Radio France choir and choir school