It's time to look back at the first PRESS REVIEW of Simon Steen-Andersen's debut opera, "Don Giovanni's Inferno", currently at Festival Musica (Opéra National du Rhin), conducted by Bassem Akiki.

Let's start with the unsatisfied: CHRISTOPHE CANDONI on Sceneweb.fr has his nerves on edge, and complains that the opera caused him "a lot of irritation".

BENOÎT FAUCHET, in Diapason, seems to agree. He speaks of a "stifling musical patchwork" and concludes with a merciless "much ado about nothing".

But this is not at all the opinion of BAUDOUIN ESCHAPASSE in Le Point, who is "in awe of a number of highly successful scenes".

CATHERINE JORDY, on the French reference site ForumOpéra, is even more enthusiastic and advises you to jump on your phones and "rush for the last available seats", because this work is "just one Hell of a show! "

RFI, Radio France International's CARMEN LUNSMANN uses the same sulfurous vocabulary, describing the result as "diabolically delicious".

AXEL DRIFFORT, for Olyrix, reports that "fans of hybrid and experimental works, as well as lovers of forgotten arias, will all find something to enjoy in this evening".

And finally: in L'Humanité, MAURICE ULRICH, a faithful companion of contemporary music, brings joy to our hearts by talking about a "baroque spectacle in the purest sense of the word, remarkable both for its deformities and for the exceptional lyrical quality of its performers under the direction of Lebanese-Polish conductor Bassem Akiki". Remarkable for its deformities! Mais quel délice, Maurice !

See you soon, folks, for more compliments or more infamy