From the Opéra de Vichy to the Opéra de Paris, via the Opéra National de Bordeaux, several meetings with luthiers and cabinetmakers, as well as presentations of instruments, some of which are period, will be organized for the young and old during these days (May 6 to 8, 2022). Beyond raising awareness of instrument making, experts point to an increasingly tangible environmental awareness.
“This is mentioned very strongly in the community because certain components of wind instruments are already impacted by international regulations on chemicals.“, explains Carole Le Rendu, director of ITEMM (European Technological Institute for Music Professions) during the presentation of the 2022 edition.
“There is the issue of keywork (set of keys) on clarinets and all wind instruments, with nickel starting to become problematic. We have to anticipate thisdid she say. There is also the issue of ebony and other exotic woods and of course ivory is in question.“
The Research and Innovation Center at ITEMM “tries to work on wind instruments, keeping the same acoustic quality, with local woods that are not imported“, specifies Ms. Le Rendu, indicating that this “would be cheaper to produce“. ITEMM has already produced guitars using flax fibers from Normandy last August.
The participants in “Tous à l’Opéra”, whose sponsor this year is the conductor Nathalie Stutzmann, will reconnect with the popular experiences of this event: stage make-up sessions, the creation of jewellery, embroidery or wigs , backstage tours, or even public dance bars.
The president of La Réunion des Opéras de France, which is organizing the event, Patrick ThilHe reported “a revival of heritage opera, with recreations of baroque operas that we have lost sight of; and contemporary French operas which, it must be said, are rarer than in the 70s and 80s“.
After two years of pandemic, Patrick Thil adds: “We are not struggling to fill our halls, but to get people to resubscribe to opera“, an observation that has been made by many live performance halls.