Paris' 'Italian Autumn'

Only 15 Days of Tango Left To Go

Paris:- Saturday, 17. October 1998:- Tiepolo moves into the Petit Palais for part two of 'L'Automne Italien' in Paris. Part three of the big shows is called 'Save Assisi!' - which is meant to kick off the campaign for funds for the restoration of the earthquake- damaged treasures of Assisi.

Around the big events, there are also concerts, literature, and theatre. Most of these - as well as 'Save Assisi!' - are in November and I'll try to list their highlights in coming issues.

Inheritor of the tradition of Titian and considered Venice's last great painter, Tiepolo was a masterly all-rounder, famous throughout Europe in his day.

This is the first time for a Tiepolo exhibition in France. It features about 80 paintings from important collections from around the planet, including several master-works, and some of these are very large in size. All of these will be on display along with 33 engravings, and 40 drawings from French collections.

Musée du Petit Palais
Avenue Winston-Churchill, Paris 8. Métro: Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau.
Open daily except Mondays, from 10:00 to 17:40. Beginning next Thursday, 22. October, for a stay until 24. January 1999. Info. Tel.: 01 42 65 12 73.

Note also that two Tiepolo frescos are on show at the exceptional Musée Jacquemart-André, a former luxurious private 19th century 'hôtel particulier,' now owned by the Institut de France. At 158. boulevard Haussmann, Paris 8. Nearest métro station: Saint-Philippe-du-Roule. Open daily, from 10:00 to 18:00. The museum's extremely fancy café is open from 11:30 to 17:30. Info. Tel.: 01 42 89 04 91.

Paris' Italian autumn has already started, with paintings by Tintoretto. Thirteen are on loan from Venice and the others from French collections. These are being displayed in the Salle des Fêtes in the Mairie of the 5th. At 21. place du Panthéon, Paris 5. Until Wednesday, 13. December. Open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 17:45 and on Sundays and holidays from 14:00 to 17:45. Info. Tel.: 01 43 29 21 75.

This annual event kicks off late this month, starting with Edmond Bacot and Olivier Mériel's photos of Victor Hugo, which can be seen starting Tuesday, 27. October, at the Maison de Victor Hugo in the Place des Vosges. Two days later, 'Ceci est Paris' starts in the city's own home of cultural affairs, at their hôtel at 31. rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the fourth.

Altogether, during November there will be 79 photo exhibitions at 61 locations around Paris. This will not be entirely 'Paris-in-love- with-itself' - there will also be photos of old Moscow, and an exhibition of Soviet views of themselves from 1917 to 1981.

Paris' 100 Years of Tango may not be of interest to anybody except millions of tango fanciers, but it is no less relevant because Paris is gripped in an increasing craze - no, delirium! - of Latin dancing.

The source for this information wrote, "Many people may not be aware of the connections between Tango and Paris, or that Carlos Gardel - the 'Caruso' of tango - was born in Toulouse; immigrated with his mother at age four to Argentina, and returned in 'triumph' at the height of his career, to Paris."

Here is the third week's program, starting with Monday:

Monday, 19. October: at 21:00. This week of tango starts a bit more modestly with 'Concert Carrasco H. Quartet,' according to the notes I have. In fact it may be a concert to be performed by Juan Carlos Carrasco.
At the Espace Kiron, 10. rue de la Vacquerie, Paris 11. Métro: Voltaire. Info. Tel.: 01 44 64 11 50.

Tuesday, 20. October: at 21:00; concert 'Autour de Piazzolla' by Eduardo Valenzuela and Constance Davila (piano, violoncello).
At the Espace Kiron; see address above.

Wednesday, 21. October: at 21:00; dance spectacle 'Abanicos' by Federico Guerin, with the theme of traditional tango influences on contemporary dances.
At the Espace Kiron; see address above.

Thursday, 22. October: at 21:00: concert 'from traditional to contemporary' by the group, 'Tres y Dos.' At the Espace Kiron; see address above.
From 21:00 to 23:00; 'Jueves de Tango' - which is a 'bal' and tango exhibition; at the Fondation Argentine, Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Closest transit stop is Cité Universitaire on the RER line 'B.'

Friday, 23. October: at 21:00; a repeat of Thursday's program, at the Espace Kiron.
From 21:00 to 23:00; 'Cine y Tango,' a projection of the 1933 film 'Tango!' directed by Moglia Barth; along with clips from various films featuring tango.
At the Fondation Argentine, see location above.

Saturday, 24. October: 16:00 to 19:00; tango lessons for everybody, given by Silvina Valz and Fabian Hojman. Like last week, places must be booked in advance. From 20:30 to 24:00, 'Bal Tango' and Argentinean buffet preceded by a demonstration by Silvina Valz and Fabian Hojman. At 21:00; 'Concert Carrasco H. Quartet,' followed by the 'Bal Final' at 22:00.
All at the Espace Kiron; Tel.: 01 44 64 11 50; see address above.

Sunday, 25. October: at 17:30; a reading of tales by Susana Azquinezer within the framework of 'Sunday Tales.' At 19:00; there will be a projection videos. This will be followed at 20:30 by a dance spectacle called 'Tango-Tango,' by Myriam and Raymond. If hunger strikes, the menu is Argentinean and I assume this means beef and not salad.
At the Webbar, 32. rue de Picardie, Paris 3. Métro stop: either Temple or République.

Next week's program starts with Buenos Aires blues and then switches to movies. Mark Thursday, 29. October in your calendar. Coming from the Cannes Festival, the national premiere of Carlos Saura's 'Tango' will take place at the Institut du Monde Arabe on this date. Another big date is Thursday, 5. November, also at the Institut du Monde Arabe. Saturday, 7. November will see 12 hours of non-stop tango at the Le Latina cinema, as a final send-off to this 35-day happy-toes event.

For more information, call Claude Namer at 01 48 87 74 23 or fax to: 01 48 87 66 50. Details of the program continue here next week.

Current Events:

Belgian landscape painter Constant Permeke is being treated to a retrospective in the Hôtel de Ville's Salle Saint-Jean.

The exhibition continues until Sunday, 1. November. It is open daily from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 11:00 to 19:00. There is no entry charge. Info. Tel.: 01 42 76 51 53.

The Big Shows

Gustave Moreau has divided followers; those who admire his skill as a painter and fanatic of detail, often going over the border to kitsch; and those who admire his imagination, who see it as going over the border to surrealism.

You may not appreciate Moreau's versions of mythological subjects, but you have to admit he knew how to paint them. Before his death in 1891, he taught at the Beaux-Arts, and Matisse, Georges Rouault and Albert Marquet were among his students. As fanatically elaborate as he could be, he could also do swift and alive watercolors - for you to see nearly side-by-side with the paintings in this entertaining exhibition.

Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais
Until 4. January 1999. Entry Clemencéau. Info. Tel.: 01 44 13 17 17.

Moreau donated his residence to the city or the state in 1897 and this began as the Musée Gustave Moreau in January 1903. In 1991 it was opened to the public, which has paid it scant attention. This museum-residence is at 14. rue de la Rochefoucauld, Paris 9. Info. Tel.: 01 48 74 38 50.

They never met, except in this exhibition in the Musée d'Orsay, but Jean-François Millet, who lived from 1814 to 1875, had a big influence on Vincent Van Gogh, born in 1853, dead in 1890.

Lightning hit Van Gogh at an exhibition of Millet's designs and pastels in 1875, just a few months after the death of the latter. At the time, Van Gogh was hustling paintings for an art dealer - he didn't begin painting until 1880.

This exhibition places similar paintings by the two artists side-by-side for the viewer to draw obvious conclusions - of the inspirations Van Gogh drew from Millet; to finally gain his own identity - showing also how artists learn from each other. The comparisons do not lessen Van Gogh's stature; they undoubtedly increase that of the less well-known Millet.

This is one of the fall season's big shows, so all the business of making advance reservations applies. Entry charge: 40 francs, reduced: 30 francs. Catalogue: 190 francs.

Musée d'Orsay
1. rue de la Légion-d'Honneur, Paris 7. This exhibition continues until 3. January 1999. Open daily except Mondays, from 10:00 to 18:00; on Sundays from 9:00 to 18:00 and on Thursdays until 21:45. Info. Tel.: 01 40 49 48 73.

Mansart, who was born 400 years ago, is not be confused with his grand-nephew who borrowed his name, nor with the style of roof, called 'mansard.'

He was, though, the architect responsible for Paris' Hôtel Guénégaud des Brosses, the Maison de Mansart, parts of the the Hôtel Carnavalet, the Hôtel Tuberf-Palais Marazin, the Eglise du Val du Grace and the Hôtel de La Vrilliére, actual headquarters of the Banue de France.