Photo : Shani Diluka
The Art of Nuance
Trade your typical evening plans for a crisp, musical start to your weekend inside one of the city's most iconic venues. Each session weaves together intimate chamber music performances with literary readings to ground the senses. It is the perfect format to rediscover masterpieces while keeping your afternoon wide open.
Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris 1st)
About
The Théâtre du Châtelet presents L’art de la nuance on Sunday, December 13, 2026. This unique one-hour concert, scheduled from 11:00 to 12:00, blends chamber music with literary readings in a contemplative morning setting. Designed for audiences of all ages, the event features performances by pianists Selim Mazari, Anton Gerzenberg, and Jean-Paul Gasparian, with contributions from Claire Chazal. The program includes works by Liszt, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Fauré, and Debussy. This performance is fully accessible to blind or visually impaired visitors, and tickets are priced between 5 and 35 euros, offering an accessible entry point to high-quality classical music in a historic venue.
"We are in the inconceivable, but with dazzling landmarks."
René Char,Conceived as an alternative to a standard concert outing, usually scheduled for the evening or afternoon but never before three o'clock, the Sunday Morning Concerts offer a format off the beaten path, for the whole family. In the spirit of the "Châtelet spirit," with programming that is demanding, eclectic, and popular, these events are built around a simple and accessible format: one hour of music, without an intermission, punctuated by an introduction and a reading that alternates poetry, literature, and philosophy.
Under the patronage of a personality from the world of art or literature, the Sunday Morning Concerts are conceived as an original musical moment, where renowned performers engage in a dialogue between the arts and society, for an approach to the concert that is sensitive, informed, and enlightened.
For this second edition at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the programming is structured around four events, from the chamber music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the work for solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach, including a tribute to Ludwig van Beethoven as well as a look at the repertoire for solo piano from the 19th and 20th centuries. This programming focuses on contemplation and reflection, with an accessible approach for everyone. Also underlying it, and as suggested by the excerpt from the letter written by the poet and resistance fighter René Char to his friend Francis Curel during the Second World War, the Sunday Morning Concerts are, first and foremost, an invitation to ecstasy, in the beautiful setting of the Grande Salle of the Théâtre du Châtelet.
Program
Introduction and reading by Claire Chazal, in tribute to Jean Daniel
Piano Selim Mazari, Anton Gerzenberg, Jean-Paul Gasparian
— Selim Mazari
Franz Liszt
Réminiscences, S. 438 (after Simon Boccanegra, opera by Giuseppe Verdi)
Felix Mendelssohn
Variations sérieuses in D minor, op. 54, MWV U156
— Anton Gerzenberg
Johannes Brahms
Variations on a Theme by Paganini in A minor, op. 35
— Jean-Paul Gasparian
Gabriel Fauré
Nocturne No. 6 in D-flat major, op. 63 (arrangement by Leonard Borwick)
Claude Debussy
"Fêtes", excerpt from Nocturnes, No. 2, L 91 (arrangement by Leonard Borwick)
Franz Liszt
Miserere du Trovatore, S. 433, concert paraphrase (after Il Trovatore, opera by Giuseppe Verdi)
Our take on this event
On Sunday, December 13, 2026, the Théâtre du Châtelet hosts L’art de la nuance, a refined concert experience starting at 11:00 and concluding at 12:00. Departing from traditional evening performances, this format features a continuous hour of music combined with readings by Claire Chazal, dedicated to the memory of Jean Daniel. It is an ideal setting for those seeking a thoughtful start to their Sunday.
The musical program showcases the talents of pianists Selim Mazari, Anton Gerzenberg, and Jean-Paul Gasparian. The setlist spans diverse works, including variations by Mendelssohn and Brahms, alongside transcriptions of operatic and orchestral pieces by Liszt, Fauré, and Debussy. The structure emphasizes introspection, allowing listeners to focus deeply on the nuances of each composition.
Tickets are available from 5 to 35 euros. The venue ensures that the experience is inclusive, with specific accommodations provided for blind or visually impaired guests. Attendees are invited to enjoy this intimate dialogue between literature and music within the iconic Grande Salle of the Théâtre du Châtelet.
