Victorin de Joncieres

[Alan Howe]

There's the odd moment where I thought "Aida" - i.e. the odd moment of cod-orientalism. Otherwise, no - this is a distinctively French grand opera.

[Mark Thomas]

Sounds Russian? Not my ears at all. It's very firmly in the mid-19th century French mainstream, and none the worse for that.

[Alan Howe]

It was the brief ballet that made me think of Aida.