Photo : Lusine Pepanyan
Around Johann Sebastian Bach
Trade the traditional evening recital for an intimate Sunday morning where the soul-stirring cello suites of Bach take center stage. This unique blend of masterful strings and carefully curated readings creates a reflective space, perfect for starting your day with pure artistic clarity.
Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris 1st)
About
The Théâtre du Châtelet hosts a unique Sunday morning performance on May 9, 2027, focusing on the cello works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Between 11:00 and 12:00, cellist Anastasia Kobekina and Comédie-Française actor Benjamin Lavernhe join forces for an hour of music and poetry. Designed as a refreshing alternative to traditional evening concerts, this event invites listeners to a moment of deep reflection in the theater's main auditorium. The program is thoughtfully curated to be inclusive and is fully accessible to blind or visually impaired visitors. It offers a rare opportunity to experience classical masterpieces in a relaxed, contemplative setting.
"We are in the inconceivable, but with dazzling landmarks."
René Char,Conceived as an alternative to a concert outing—which are usually scheduled for the evening or afternoon, but never before three o'clock—the Sunday Morning Concerts offer an off-the-beaten-path format for the whole family. In line with the "Châtelet spirit," with a program that is demanding, eclectic, and popular, these events are built around a simple and accessible format: one hour of music, without intermission, punctuated by an introduction and a reading that alternates between poetry, literature, and philosophy.
Placed 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, ranging from the chamber music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the works for solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach, including a tribute to Ludwig van Beethoven as well as a look at the solo piano repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries. This program focuses on contemplation and reflection, with an accessible approach for everyone. Also underlying this, 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, within the beautiful setting of the Grande Salle of the Théâtre du Châtelet.
Program
Introduction and poetry reading by Benjamin Lavernhe of the Comédie-Française
Cello Anastasia Kobekina
Johann Sebastian Bach
Suites for Solo Cello, BWV 1007-1012 (excerpts)
With excerpts from works by Hildegard von Bingen, Marin Marais, Arvo Pärt, Pēteris Vasks, Bryce Dessner, Brian Eno.
Our take on this event
Part of the ongoing Sunday Morning Concerts series, this performance takes place on May 9, 2027, from 11:00 to 12:00 at the Théâtre du Châtelet. The event features excerpts from J.S. Bach's suites for solo cello, performed by Anastasia Kobekina, intertwined with poetry readings by Benjamin Lavernhe of the Comédie-Française. The program also draws from the works of Hildegard von Bingen, Marin Marais, Arvo Pärt, Pēteris Vasks, Bryce Dessner, and Brian Eno, offering an hour-long, intermission-free experience that blends classical tradition with contemporary reflection.
Tickets are priced between 5 and 35 euros. The venue is committed to accessibility and is equipped to welcome blind or visually impaired audience members. By stepping away from the standard evening concert format, this event at the heart of the 1st arrondissement provides a sophisticated yet accessible cultural experience for all attendees.
