Time A-Fleeting
6 – 12 June 2026
Saturday 6 June
To Duisburg by plane
Duisburg, once arguably Europe’s steel capital, has reinvented itself without turning its back on its industrial past. The lovely promenade along the Innenhafen (Inner Harbour) illustrates the city’s ever-present commitment to its heritage. The Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst (MKM), a former grain mill and storage facility strikingly repurposed by Herzog & de Meuron, houses a formidable collection of modern and contemporary art. It is but one example of Duisburg’s commitment to the arts, alongside the numerous outdoor sculptures that enrich the urban landscape.
Duisburg, Theater Duisburg • A production of On the Town by Deutsche Oper am Rhein, a partnership between Duisburg and nearby Düsseldorf, struck many right notes. Even though some references (Gimbels, Goodbye Mr. Chips) are probably unsalvageable for modern audiences, the creative team skilfully honoured the distinctive charms of Comden & Green’s book, which so uniquely captures the gossamer yet lively atmosphere of 1944 New York City as the three sailors roam its streets in search of Miss U-Bahn before returning to a presumably less fancy-free life. The cast and orchestra mostly rose to the demands of Leonard Bernstein’s score, even managing a swing factor that often eludes European performers. In spite of a few questionable choices — Ozzie’s moustache, having Hildy chase Chip on her taxi while it seemed to drive itself, casting a man in drag as Lucy, injecting some anachronistic references into the staging of “Some Other Time” — I let myself be drawn into this tender celebration of the sweet ephemerality of time a-fleeting.
Sunday 7 June
Back to Paris by plane
Paris, UGC Maillot • Antonin Baudry’s L’Âge de fer, the first instalment of his La Bataille De Gaulle diptych, strongly impressed me with its sharp construction, visual mastery and deliciously manipulative soundtrack. Whatever liberties may have been taken with historical accuracy, the titanic confrontation between Simon Abkarian’s De Gaulle and Simon Russell Beale’s Churchill formed the film’s dramatic centre, while its unashamedly epic scenes demonstrated cinematic chops rarely seen in French films.
Tuesday 9 June
Paris, UGC Maillot • Pedro Almodóvar’s Amarga Navidad felt even more personal than his previous films, a contemplation on the boundaries between art and life, seemingly more than coincidentally reminiscent of Fellini’s 8½. While some may feel anger or frustration at the script’s cryptic, open-ended denouement, I embraced the typical Almodovarian ingredients: seemingly banal characters elevated into larger-than-life personas, to whom the camera appears to be making love. The fine soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias supplied just the right amount of melodrama, complete with distinct Douglas Sirk overtones.
Wednesday 10 June
Paris, Philharmonie de Paris · Klaus Mäkelä led the Orchestre de Paris in a programme combining Taste of Metal, a contemporary symphony by fellow Finn Sauli Zinovjev, and two late-19th century masterpieces that share the distinction of not having been attributed opus numbers: Schumann’s Violin Concerto (with Isabelle Faust as soloist) and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. Mäkelä approached all three scores with the same unabashed romanticism, making the programme feel far more coherent than it looked on paper. The magic worked again, resulting in a performance that was enthusiastic, luxuriant, and intoxicatingly uplifting. I left the hall feeling buoyed by the kind of energy that only transcendent art can provide.
Thursday 11 June
Paris, Auditorium de Radio France · At the helm of the Orchestre National de France, Cristian Măcelaru curated a fascinating dialogue between the music of Elgar (the Cello Concerto, with Kia Soltani, as well as excerpts from The Dream of Gerontius) and contemporary works by Anna Clyne and Thierry Escaich — including a piece for solo organ, played by Alma Bettencourt, who later joined the orchestra for Gerontius. The experience was never less than absorbing. Măcelaru and Soltani brought out the extraordinary lyrical lushness of Elgar, while the contemporary pieces wittily balanced playfulness and ambition.
Friday 12 June
To Klagenfurt by plane and train
Klagenfurt, Stadttheater · Klagenfurt’s Stadttheater traditionally rounds off its seasons with ambitious productions of musicals, making use of the combined forces of the theatre’s musicians, actors, singers and dancers. This Hello, Dolly! didn’t disappoint. The nearly 30-strong orchestra played Phil Lang’s glorious charts with the same love and respect they would bestow upon a Wagner score — and I found myself overcome with emotion hearing the flute counterpoints and the orchestral buildup of “Put On Your Sunday Clothes.” The leading cast, led by the formidable Carin Filipčić as Dolly and the hilarious Tim Grobe as Horace, showed themselves experts at comedy, relying on broad characterisations and sustained, impeccable timing.
And so, for now, the lights dim… until the next act.