After a career on the world's greatest opera stages in roles such as the Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute), Lucia di Lammermoor, Lakmé, Zerbinetta (Ariane à Naxos), Ophelia (Hamlet), Manon, Violetta Valery (La Traviata), Marie (La Fille du Régiment) and Mélisande (Pelléas et Mélisande), Natalie Dessay decided to focus her career on recitals, theatre and song. Her meeting with Michel Legrand confirmed her choice. This was followed by a tour of Europe and America, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg at the Théâtre du Châtelet, and the albums Entre Elle et Lui and Beetwen Yesterday and Tomorrow.

She was invited by the Théâtre du Châtelet to perform in Sondheim's musical Passion. At the same time, she continued her recital career in a duo with pianist Philippe Cassard. They recorded the albums Debussy, Fiançailles pour rire and Schubert. Natalie Dessay is the first French opera singer to have been named Kammersängerin at the Vienna State Opera. Theatre now plays a very important part in her artistic life. She made her debut in Und in Tours and then Paris.