Who lit the barbecue in the Versailles Opera House?

Louis XIV must have turned in his grave at the smell of barbecue smoke that slowly embalmed yesterday evening the Opera House of his dreams and I must confess that I didn't like it either. I might have become more versaillaise than I thought being possible, but as much as I love the exuberant and overflowing creativity of Hervé Niquet, I think that his burlesque "King Arthur" didn't fit in the Royal Opera House of Versailles and its magnificent, delicate setting.

Our Versailles Opera House is more royal than yours

Tourists are long gone at 7:30pm, trying to find refuge against the dark in one of the more or less traditional restaurants around the City Hall, when it's time for the subtle lights of the château to witness a new and different kind of movement. Waves and waves of silent pilgrims, dazzled by the greatness, flow up toward the castle like a forbidden sect going to a decisive meeting. One or two small groups stop at the golden interior gates so they can take one last look before getting in, angry with their cameras incapable of taking hold of so much beauty. "Tourists!" exclaim the others with condescendence as they're heading straight to the right side of the imposing building, barely looking at the lights.

This is The Secret Society of the Versailles Opera House Spectators and tonight they're on a mission.

я русский in Versailles

A few days ago I received an invitation to the live preview of the new album of Philippe Jaroussky, "La voix des rêves" (The voice of dreams), at the Versailles Royal Opera House, a concerto where most of the tickets were already sold in private sales, I am kindly informed. The thing wasn't made public to the common of mortals but these last few days before the event (and we were only left with the cheapest tickets, if you please!)

Well, I wasn't too surprised, knowing that Philippe Jaroussky is the adored talented and spoiled child of the baroque music in Versailles. He's the most famous French countertenor, he sings like an angel, is native of Yvelines (was born in Maisons-Laffitte) and owes his last name to his grandfather and an impetuous French civil servant: