Opera was in live lockdown during Strasbourg manhunt
mainEva Kleinitz, director of the Opéra du Rhin, told Le Figaro:
‘At the interval, we asked the audience not to leave the premises. There were 800 in the auditorium and 120 in the orchestra and the choir… People were beautifully calm. We did not consider stopping the performance. Our main aim was to keep the public safe… The musicians remained perfectly focused.’
After the performance of Offenbach’s opéra bouffe Barkouf, the audience were dispersed in small groups.
Fascinating. The 2015 Bataclan massacre took place in a theater named for an opera by Offenbach… coincidence?
Yes, Barkouf, ou Un chien au pouvoir (Barkouf, or A Dog In Power), given its first outing in the OEK critical edition. I wonder which president they have in mind.