16.1.09

Concert + walking...


Last Sunday afternoon I went to a concert. I listened to music by Mendelssohn, Grieg and a Gottschalk by a young very talented Japanese piano player, Kanae Endo. To listen to music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869), an American composer (and pianist), was for me a new – very nice – experience. If you are interested you may as an example listen to “Banjo”, inspired by his birth town, New Orleans, almost with some ragtime rhythm. (See the sidebar.) Unfortunately, I cannot offer Kanae Endo’s version, but I can assure you that it was at least as good! “Bravos” and “bis”!

The concert took place at “Fondation Dosne-Thiers” at Place Saint Georges. I already posted about this building, which used to be the private home of one of the French Presidents, Adolphe Thiers (in office 1871-75).* It’s now owned by “the Institute” (the home of the French academies) and serves as a library... and e.g. for concerts. Behind the building, what used to be the garden is now a nice little park.

To go there, I could have used the metro, but it’s fairly close to where I live, so of course I walked, back and forth. It was a bit chilly, but nice! As you can see from the map we are quite close to Montmartre, but Place Saint George is rather in what is called the “Nouvelle Athènes” area on which I have made a number of posts. Where I live is called “Batignolles” on which I have also written quite – too? – often. The major central place you pass on the way is Place de Clichy (see top picture). There is a lot to say about this Place, but I will revert on this another day. (So, now you know how to find the way to where I live.)
I took some photos on the way to show you the atmosphere of the area. Let’s say that it’s on the way back home. In the beginning, you find a mixture of what is more or less the Pigalle atmosphere (bars, cabarets, theatres...), mixed with more elegant housing and some nice squares, like Square Berlioz.
Reaching the Place de Clichy area, you will find what is one of the biggest cinemas in Paris, some nice eating places, a small theatre... From the place leads the Avenue de Clichy with, close to the Place, another cinema and just behind, what used to be a café where somehow the impressionist movement was born (now a shoe shop) (see previous post). On the way from Place Clichy, you find L’Européen, a music theatre where perhaps mostly a bit less known artists generally perform, but it’s also frequently used by well established artists for some kind of pre-shows. The walls are decorated by the famous graffiti artist Jef Aérosol. Further down the same street, there are some graffiti covering the entire walls (artist?). (See previous posts -1,2- about graffiti.)
All the way, you will find a number of restaurants, shops... often with a 19th century atmosphere, which actually the whole district inspires!
If I had walked the same way during the 19th century I could possibly have met a number of (still) famous artists, but I have already talked about this in my previous posts (George Sand, Chopin, Liszt, Rossini, A. Dumas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, G.Moreau, A.Scheffer, Monet, Manet, Zola...and I forget). Maybe with only this additional remark: Delacroix lived and worked in this building (Rue Notre Dame de Lorette) between 1844 and 1857.


*/ The house was actually rebuilt in 1873, destroyed in 1871 by the communards, for good reasons upset about Thiers.
Time to wish you a nice weekend!

54 comments:

Karen said...

I like the music, too.

So many photos!! And another area for me to explore when I return. I saw some of these sights from the bus but need to walk to check out all the little alleys and side streets. :=}

Virginia said...

Better watch out, you'll have us all showing up on your doorstep asking to borrow a glass of champagne. This is a lively area for sure. Whoooeeee!

Marie-Noyale said...

Elle est jolie cette place St Georges et dans un quartier qui devient a la mode..C'est une belle promenade jusqu'a chez toi.

Julien Clerc a une tres jolie chanson qui s'appelle "PLace Clichy".la connais tu?

J'ai pense a toi ce matin j'ai reçu ma nouvelle carte du MOMA de NY pour 2009 .C'est une des statues que tu nous as montre de Maillol qui est representee: la 1ere sur ta mosaique.
Bon WE a toi aussi.

Olivier said...

belle promenade bien accompagnée en musique (pas de photos du concert ?).
J'aime beaucoup la peinture murale a droite de l'Europeen.

lyliane six said...

Hier je suis allée visiter le Panthéon et l'église Saint Étienne du Mont (les 2 bâtiments sont étroitement liés par leur histoire), bizarre que tu n'ai pas encore fait un post sur ce haut lieu français! j'étais invité par un ami commun, pour lui dire un "au revoir" et lui non plus n'avait jamais visité le Panthéon.
J'ai toujours dans l'idée d'aller aussi assister à un concert salle Pleyel.Si le cœur t'en dit, je connais la route de ta maison et toi tu connais la route de la mienne.Bon weekend.

PeterParis said...

Lyliane:

Mais oui, voici les posts sur le Panthéon:

http://peter-pho2.blogspot.com/search/label/Panth%C3%A9on

... et sur Saint-Etienne-du-Mont:

http://peter-pho2.blogspot.com/search/label/Saint-Eteinne-du-Mont

... ou cliquer dirctement sur les labels à droite.

Cergie said...

Et au 23ème siècle on dira : dans ces rues j'eus pu rencontrer le fabuleux bloggueur qui aimait Grieg (on se demande pourquoi), et une non moins fabuleuse bloggueuse qui allait visiter son fils.
C'est un quartier fabuleux. Près de la place St Georges je suis allée voir (et écouter) "Chicago" comédie musicale adaptée par Laurent Ruquier, au Casino de Paris...
(Il y a tant à dire sur ce beau coin si bien fréquenté...)

Adam said...

A very interesting and exhaustive description of the area in which I work and walk!

One thing though - it's difficult to mention Thiers without mentioning his role in the Commune. He is a true Paris villain, described at the time as being «le type même du bourgeois cruel et borné qui s’enfonce sans broncher dans le sang». He was directly responsible for the execution of over 20,000 people in one week.

On the subject of this building, after Thiers had fled for Versailles in 1871, it was destroyed by the Communards and all his possessions were confiscated. The house was rebuilt as an exact copy though in 1873.

claude said...

En plus des cours de danse, j'ai étudié le piano mais ça m'a gonflé vite fait, alors j'ai abandonné. J'admire ma Cousine Françoise quand elle joue la Marche Turque. Si elle avait voulu où si elle avait pu elle aurait pu devenir une vrai virtuose des touches noires et blanches.
Tu en a de la chance de pouvoir flaner dans les rue de Paris. je t'envie. C'est bien je vois ou tu crèches. Bon WE !

Anonymous said...

ah, c'est mon ancien quartier... qu'il me manque!

Anonymous said...

ahhhhhh grieg, sacré bonhomme. J'adore. Bon, bon, piteur, je trouve que tu marches bien vite dans tes rues de Paris, j'ai de la peine à te suivre. Si tu pouvais ralentir la cadence, je pourrai reprendre un peu mon souffle. J'ai vu sur une photo qu'il y avait des gens sur une terrasse, ils ne sont pas frileux. :-)
je t'embrasse et bon WE.

Cezar and Léia said...

Wowwwwww :-)
Thanks a lot Peter! Loved this post. Breathtaking! I need to confess I`m a kind of envious here! Great atmosphere in all those streets and places!

If don`t mind I would like to ask you did you play any instrument?

When I was young, in my twenties, I used to be a piano `s teacher.I miss that time!
I do love music! :-) Have a great weekend my friend.
God Bless you
Léia

Bhavesh Chhatbar said...

You have a lot to say and a lot to show in photographs

PeterParis said...

Adam:
Thanks for your addendum! I knew about it, but thought I was already too long in my text. But you are right; to make things correctly, I should have added it and I now did with an */!

alice said...

Paris pose bien évidemment un grave problème: concerts, visites diverses, expositions...comment choisir entre toutes les possibilités, toutes ces offres plus tentantes les une que les autres! Je plaisante mais tes mosaïques de photos me font tourner la tête...!

alice said...

As-tu quelques nouvelles de notre Belle Hélène?

Ruth said...

It amuses me to see folks sitting outside at a cafe in the cold weather.

It's very nice to go to a concert in a small beautiful historic building like that. Wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Lovely photos and happy memories of many visits to Le Mery and a few to l'european (with a side visit to the cemetary to visit Dalida!)

Have a great weekend

Eli

Anonymous said...

Those buildings from long ago, the details and the atmosphere, that's why Paris is so charming. I hope the meals in the restaurants are not from the 19th century ;-))
I wish you a very nice weekend (despite the weather),
April

Thérèse said...

C'est vrai qu'il y a de la cadence sur ce blog. Je me dis toujours que la prochaine fois j'irai revoir ci ou çà...
Bon week-end!

PeterParis said...

Karen:
You can't do everything in one visit - even if you stayed for while!

Virginia:
If you find my address, I will fill up your glass!

Marie-noyale:
"... Le Wepler
Et sur la gauche
La rue Caulaincourt
Qui monte vers le cimetière..." Julien connait la place!

C'est bien que Maillol soit à l'honneur!

Bon WE et bises!

PeterParis said...

Olivier:
Je n'ai pas voulu "déranger" avec des photos! Puet-être à un prochain concert!

Lyliane:
(Voir ci-dessus.) Bises!

Cergie:
Le truc, c'est qu'eux, ils ont habités (comme ton fils), nous, nous sommes que des visiteurs! Mais, on ne sait jamais!
Bon WE à toi aussi et bises!

PeterParis said...

Adam:
(See above.) Thanks and nice weekend!

Claude:
Nous somme assez nombreux à avoir édudié le piano et d'autres instruments. Nous ne deviendrons pas tous des virtuoses! Je crois qu'il faut l'accepter! Bon WE te bises!

PeterParis said...

Maitresse:
Thanks for your visit here. I discovered your interesting blogs and made a link in my sidebar! Welcome back!

Delgrippium:
Grieg, oui j'aime bien aussi! J'ai visité sa maison et fait trois notes sur son piano (quand j'avais 10 ans). Tu ne commentes pas Gottschalk? Tu connaissais?

Cezar & Léia:
So, that means that you are good on the piano! Do you know Gottschalk?

Yes, I have tried a few instruments, but with very limited success. I still try the piano.

Quand tu viens à Paris, je promets de marcher très doucement!!

Bon WE et bises!

PeterParis said...

Bhavesh:
Thanks for your visit here which made me disover your very interesting site!

Alice:
... et encore, on ne profite pas assez! Bon WE et bises!

Ruth:
The terraces are nowadays mostly heated - special attention made to smokers!
Yes, I like very much these smaller concert places!

PeterParis said...

Eli:
Happy that you could recognise the area!

April:
Not many of the 19th century restaurants are left... and if they are, they must definitely have been serving fresh food ... and still do! :-) Nice WE also to you!

Thérèse:
Des fois, j'ai du mal à suivre ma propre cadence! :-) Bon WE!!

PeterParis said...

Alice:
J'ai oublié de dire que la Belle Hélène est bien de retour!

Neva said...

It looks to be a lovely area and a nice place to walk! have a good weekend!

Anonymous said...

Wow a lot going on here. Love the area. I do have more photos of my visit to the Royal Opera House. I'll save them for another day.

Starman said...

I meant to check out Place de Clichy the last time I was in Paris, but somehow never got around to doing it. Ah well, perhaps next time?

Anonymous said...

Hello Peter,
my name is Yaëlle & I've been introduced to your blog thanks to Karen Graham who visited you some weeks ago.
I met Karen during a visit as I'm a member of Parisien d'1 jour association (walks to discover a Parisian district with a volunteer).Maybe you've heard of it...
Anyway I really like your blog as it's a good mix of history along the centuries, personal feelings, nice patchwork..& foreigners as well as Frnehc people can appreciate your stories.
If you have some times, I'd love to meet you to talk a bit about your motivations to start such a blog & the difficulties encountered.
Thanks, Yaëlle

Bettina said...

Is this an invitation Peter ? You should be carefull, a whole bunch of us might show up on your doorstep, LOL ;-)

I love your photos and this is actually "my" area. At most of my stays in Paris I have stayed at Hotel Tryp Blanche Fontaine in Rue Fontaine, and therefore walked a lot in these streets.

Bettina said...

BTW I hope you had a lovely evening - it sounds like it.

Bettina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
PeterParis said...

Neva:
It is! Nice WE also to you!

Mo:
Looking forward to see the sylphides!

Starman:
Hopefully you will make it next time!

PeterParis said...

Yaëlle:
Yes, Karen talked very nicely about you! Would be ery pleased to meet you. How can we get in contact? My email is peter.olson@hotmail.fr.

Bettina:
Not before 8 a.m. please! :-)
So, if you know the area, hopefully you feel that I have reported correctly! :-)

Anonymous said...

Aside from the difference in buildings or architecture, your traffic pictures look like almost any city here.

Thanks for your visits and comments.

Abe Lincoln Blogs
Abraham Lincoln's Blog

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi Peter,
OOOh yes a concert is always great though I love your compositionand the great collages of all little shops on the corners and graffiti in Paris, Happy weekend Peter:)

Anonymous said...

Next time Karen is in Paris......

I missed her on her visit - I was there the week before her but due to concerts in London couldn't get over whilst she was visiting. The first New Year for 3 years that I have spent in London and not Paris!

Place de Clichy holds a special place in my heart - many a happy weekend seeing 'Chance!' at the Mery, staying at the Ibis overlooking the cemetary (at least the neignbours are quiet!).

Back in Paris next weekend - but a flying visit - arrive around 3pm, off to fnac to pick up ticket for 'Hair!', round to C&A to see waht bargains are on offer! Hopefully get a few of the Mozart singles for UK fans. Run up to Trianon for the show, hang around after to say hiya to the 3 performers that I know. Hopefully get something to eat. Back to London on Sunday morning - bless the eurostar!

Eli
x

Ange said...

Hi Peter! Tahnks for coming to my blog; I'm glad to find your blog too. I look forward to reading more...

Chuckeroon said...

So...I finally found my way to the botttom of the 40 other comments!

However, I wish to say that I'm amazed that you even reached the concert! So much time spent enjoying the surroundings. Nice to see again some snaps of Clichy which I remember so well from my business years visiting Paris.

Unknown said...

I'm telling you, you should publish a guide! With such great information and fantastic photos, no one will get lost in Paris! :-) Terrific work, Peter!

PeterParis said...

Abraham:
Is that all the differences you see? :-))

JoAnn:
There are different ways to compose!

ALi:
Sorry you missed Karen, hopefully next time! Anyhow, thanks for your visit on my blog! ... and have a nice - although quick - WE in Paris!

PeterParis said...

Ange:
... and I'm happy to have found yours!! The more Paris blogs, the better; the more we learn about our city!

Chuckeroon:
You must never leave in the last minute! :-)) When will you visit Place de Clichy again?

JM:
... and maybe with the help of a map or a GPS! :-) Thanks for the compliments!

Shammickite said...

You really enjoy living in Paris, don't you, Peter, and we are all enjoying it with you. You live in a very lively area, aways something to do, and some interesting view to photograph!

krystyna said...

Your great photos showed this spectacular atmosphere in this area. And inserted "Banjo" music it was a good idea. Thanks, Peter.
I can imagine how great was this concert. I like to listen to young talented players too.

Have a successful and happy week ahead!

Michelle said...

It looks very cold but it doesn't seem to bother the people sitting outside. It must be Paris!! All the pictures are amazing I am sure the concert was also. Beautiful Pictures.

Azer Mantessa said...

Peter!!!

You have great taste in music!!!

Rhi said...

Boo. :( Sometimes I hate seeing all these wonderful pictures, it just makes me want to come so much more!!! And sorry it took so long to post... busy, busy, busy. But, a new one is finally up, thanks for checking in!! And thanks for the note on Kanae Endo. I'll definitely have to check her out!! Hope to hear from you soon. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Nathalie H.D. said...

Hi Peter

I'm honoured and pleased to be your 50th commentator. Not bad,eh?

Now everyone will think that you live amidst girls bars and that's why you love Paris so much LOL!

I like the way you documented the various aspects of your itinerary. It's really quite magic. Your top photo is tops!!!

Have a good Sunday!

Anonymous said...

Watch out Peter, if you keep displaying such wonderful photos I am coming there !

Oh my ! how much I am missing Paris !

PeterParis said...

Schammickite:
Yes, I must admit that I quite like Paris! :-)

Krystyna:
I know that you have soem talented piano player(s) around! :-)

Michelle:
Protected from wind and with some heating round, you can "survive"! :-)

PeterParis said...

Azer:
Well, I like most music, included the pieces composed by you! :-)

Rhi:
Don't cry! :-) I'm sure that soon you will be able to see it for real! :-)

Nathalie:
I don't think I can reserve the 50th position for you each day - I seldom reach this number! You are welcome even as number one, ten... or whatever! :-)

PeterParis said...

Cuckoo:
A gooe reason for me to continue! :-)