Paris Opera director fails surprise opera quiz: video

18 February 2015, 11:22 | Updated: 6 January 2017, 14:45

The director of Paris Opera performed poorly in a surprise opera test during a television interview in France. It was a little bit awkward.

Stéphane Lissner, who has previously held posts at Italy's La Scala opera house, was asked to name particular opera arias on a French television show.

Despite his history in the opera industry, a visibly uncomfortable Lissner floundered during the unexpected quiz.

Although he did manage to correctly identify an aria from Bizet's Carmen, Lissner was unable to connect excerpts with operas like Catalani's La Wally and Puccini's Madame Butterfly.

He made faces like this: 




And also this:



And, at one point, this:


Witness the discomfort in full:

(And in French, BTW.)