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La Belle Helene

opera buffa,

libretto by Meilhac and Halevy,

music by Jacques Offenbach

Marseille Opera,

December 23, 2010

The work

Like all beautiful, La Belle Helene (1864) is also known as unknown. Who, indeed, today, can identify, for enjoying it all genealogical references, mythological comedy, which tend, like the bow of Ulysses, hilarious text by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy, the librettists duo authors Carmen ? In text talented, great music: words by breaking down already so surreal, it was probably set in tradition and collective memory (but which are lost as well) the names of kings, the king "a bearded drunk who advances, it is Agamemnon, Menelaus, "the husband of Queen louse" the fiery Achilles, etc..

But it is unlikely that the playful and parodic erudition, robust, librettists two friends will be received today by much of the public. Thus, one quick reference Achilles fighting "against a thousand," through [his] dip "can be understood only if one knows that his mother, to make it invulnerable, plunged, child in the waters of the Styx, river of Hades, to make him immortal, simply by holding their heels, only parties that remain unhardened and vulnerable: he died of an arrow of Paris during the siege of Troy.

For it is the cause of the Trojan War (as originally planned) that makes a mockery of singing Offenbach hero sung by Homer. The cause: human well-competition that it looks like beauty pageants-three goddesses, Hera (Juno), Athena (Minerva) and Aphrodite (Venus), who argue about which is the most beautiful. They rely on the judgments of the beautiful Trojan prince Paris passed by Mount Ida. The latter offers the prize to Venus who, receiving the apple of the most beautiful goddess, promises in Paris the most beautiful death.

And that's the Trojan War almost lit, since Paris, disguised as a shepherd, will claim the trophy promised by Venus, the most beautiful woman in the world, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, Helen. This "the blonde daughter of Leda," a busy heredity genes in love without embarrassment: it was born from an egg, his mother gave him the day making love with a swan (Jupiter transformed) and has a sister Clytemnestra, the one that kills her lover with her husband King of kings, Agamemnon returned from the Trojan War, because he delivered their daughter Iphigenia as a sacrifice to Calchas to have favorable winds, and the dashing Orestes here Fifils his dad kill his mother to avenge his father, urged by his sister Electra and become crazy. In short, this charming family bleak future, is here named and shown in a light and harmless bantering: partying, leaving for Crete and Kythera, far from thinking of Troy, except the three from vaudeville to help support the heavy chains of marriage: the wife, husband, lover.

course we can not enjoy the "speak argos" instead of slang that if one knows the Argos region of Greece, Hellas, or explaining "the beautiful Hellenes" Incidentally .

Musically, the same scholarly vein parody humorously cites Italian operas of cooing vocalizations and trills, including the irresistible "the man with the apple, the apple of Paris but also William Tell Rossini, and of course, apple of discord and original sin.

. This is probably because the density has suffered internal cultural entropy, wear less time than a conventional widespread ignorance rolled ours, that the directors, presumably to compensate for this, weigh down with apparatus external gadgets a text that does not seem sufficient by itself. Moreover, the satire of the Second Empire, hardly sensitive nor relevant today, sometimes the temptation to offer updates to contemporary political, welcome update and enliven the text.

Realization and Interpretation

There will be little of that here, except a few quotations from different geographical laborious local feel obliged to pass more than pagnolade. Is that this staging by Jerome Savary in 1984, and his assistant, Frederick Lombart , mounts probably true, but apparently without updating it politically, while there what: luxury and lust for some, misery for others, a Greek temple pediment that could remind one of Wall Street a galley could be the famous yacht Bolloré ... This is obviously only the first level of the text (if we forget the problems of meaning and scholars both directions) that seem to be addressed honestly, stylish decor Greek ( Michel Lebois ) in costumes are beautiful ( Michel Dussarrat ), the ancient recesses of time with funny, cute tunics for women but not in buskin stilettos, and beautiful, if Helen Hellenes, beautiful breast bare, with beautiful legs and the rest not too stupid, and stuff in pen Menelaus tuxedo jacket on Greek skirt, bow tie and bowler hat to Louis XI and Louis II of Bavaria over, as Agamemnon in armor vest in a vast baroque costume, draped, swimwear striped XIX e for kings beach, buoy, fins, sunglasses, fishing rods, etc., for bathing in Nafplion. This was probably new 26 years ago but since then it has seen much-imitated perhaps-and we smiled, but not really laugh.

The beginning of the first act, beautiful lament of women conducted by Helen, while fundamentalists anti-sex show oddly, has not been slow music (hand Nader Abassi is consistently strong, edgy, full of verve), but scenic. The room did not respond: is it because you feel in the air inlet Mireille Delunsch uncomfortable in a range too serious for her? No, because it is immediately beautiful in her dress of mourning plumed, but perhaps because the musical passages speak, hasty presumably for fear of downtime, cut quickly to the whims applause. However, this type of work that lives only between vibration stage and auditorium.

This is correct in Act II, more dynamic, especially Helen is more central, royal unfair and Delunsch , beautiful, without having the votes, in highly deserves the title of her voluptuous flesh serious light of its sharp, she's great pot of absurdity in his air-his cry of surprise or pleasure, the "man at the apple" . Without falling into caricature by forcing the game she plays with all her elegant body, and his gestures are as beautiful as humorous expressive, emphasizing expressive facial queen of posh, pretty but naive in his cunning of false / true victim of fate. His lesson and domestic scene, rage and annoyance at the unintentional Menelaus returned without warning and not a gentleman, is an anthology. With his tenor voice very or too light, elegant line to the physical and vocal Alexander Swan gives Pâris something poetic, touching, human, in the midst of excess ambient. Mezzo Christine Tocci Orestes is a transvestite vibrio and swirling, crazy, crazy or dippy, cynical representative of the livers of the Second Empire, escorted sprightly casseroles ( Charlotte Filou , Julie Morgan ).

Marc Barrard us so accustomed to excellence, we would forget it as naturally as the tragic hero comic characters, such as Agamemnon debonair he endows his royal voice deep and mellow, who regales his warm baritone timbre worthy Bacquier. With more game than singing, Francis Dudziack Calchas is a nearly ubiquitous playmaker, great comic presence and poise of solid oracular voice from the depths. In this role vaudeville Cuckold reluctantly, Menelaus, tenor Eric Huchet manages to do almost a character, very funny, but touching as it is shot in ass donkey by his wife and by others, victim must therefore opera buffa, cruelly referred to the eyes and voices of all, choirs these ruthless agora ( Peter Iodice ). All other singers or actors, Anne Rodier (Bacchis) Jacques Lemaire (Ajax1) Dominique Côté (Ajax2) Till Fechner (Achilles), Jean-Michel Muscat (Philicome), Jean Goltier (Eutycles), fit into the merry band happily decorated with a pretty classical choreography Josyane Ottaviano .

Marseille Opera ,

21, 23, 26, 28, 29, 31 December 2010

La Belle Helene Jacques Offenbach

Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra de Marseille, Direction: Nader Abbassi

Director: Jerome Savary, conducted by Frederick Lombart; decoration: Michel Lebois ;; costumes : Michel Dussarrat ; lumières : Alain poisson.

Chorégraphie : Josyane Ottaviano ;  

Distribution  :

Mireille Delunsch : Hélène ; Christine Tocci : Oreste ; Anne Rodier : Bacchis ; Charlotte Filou : Léœna ; Julie Morgane : Partœnis ; Alexander Swan : Pâris ; Marc Barrard : Agamemnon ; Francis Dudziack : Calchas ; Eric Huchet : Ménélas ; Jacques Lemaire : Ajax 1 ; Dominique Côté : Ajax 2 ; Till Fechner :Achille ; Jean-Michel Muscat : Philicome . Jean Goltier : Eutycles.

Photos : Christian Dresse :

1. Till Fechner, Eric Huchet, Mireille Delunsch, Marc Barrard ;

2. Mireille Delunsch, Eric Huchet;

3. Alexander Swan, Mireille Delunsch.

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Il dolce Tormento

Il dolce tormento

Tondut by Eliane, vocals,

Jose dos Santos, guitar

Leda atomica, December 17, 2010

Known as talented decorator and costume designer for theater, Eliane Tondut beginning to be recognized as a talented singer and curiosity. Expanding his repertoire, it takes us today, in several languages well controlled, the early Baroque music from the early seventeenth century ^e songs of the Sephardic tradition, with incursions into the fado and Brazilian spikes.

The voice is well modulated, fleshy, full-bodied severe, acute easy, well conducted, it allows finer shades of vibrant color and sound and well finished.

It begins and will end his recital with a sensitive poetic, beautiful melodies by Sephardim, the penetrating charm and nostalgia of this ancient Castilian (except music) lovingly preserved by the Jews expelled from Spain (their Sepharad) in 1492. Treasury immemorial, among which one was even able to find, right in the twentieth century ^e , beautiful ballads (narrative poems octosyllabic assonance regularly to peers) who were lost in the Peninsula, the masculine romance language reflected a misunderstanding wrongly even in discs, merges with a romance. We listen with pleasure, after the delicate La rosa enfloreze ... the famous and melancholy Adio, querida only dream ... that some source of "Adio del passato" from Traviata , though probably much later. What is most touching is that this "Adio " Sephardic omits the s of the correct "adiós" English for the Jews of Spain felt it as a plural, anathema to a strict monotheism.

From this, we will be rewarded Eliane's charming "Se dolce è il tormento ..." Scherzi of musical Monteverdi with decreases very sensitive to strophic times and then the haunting lullaby of Arnalta of the Incoronazione di Poppea . Caccini, a contemporary of the latter is equally well served with "Tu che penne, Amore ...". Another type of baroque singing later, more formal and virtuoso aria Mentre io godo in dolce Oblio Alessandro Scarlatti allows the singer to demonstrate agility in a beautiful vocalizations and guitarist create a seductive halo harmonic voice.

Portugal, Brazil, other musical journeys where we have followed with pleasure the two interpreters for one can not forget the guitar shows and if ductile Jose dos Santos who performed brilliantly accompaniments of these songs so diverse: the remarkable embroidery Baroque arias, personal fantasies in others. A moment of pure passion and fun.

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Hansel und Gretel

Musical tale of Adelheid Wette,

Music by Engelbert Humperdinck (1893)

by soloists CNIPAL

Opera de Marseille, 16 December 2010

The ritual Time tea was that of champagne: it is assumed that one drink for the holiday season, a little early. But, tea or champagne, we drank the whey with this delightful spectacle. Not that this fairy tale fascinated by the subject: two children, brother and sister, mother somewhat stepmother, get lost in the woods like Tom Thumb, and lack of being eaten by an ogre, and everything returns to normal after the intervention of a fairy godmother and the arrival of parents relented. But the music is remarkable, simple tunes on line and complex assemblies, supported on a harmony that Wagner knows his , as the composer himself, who was a contributor. Founded in Weimar in 1893 under the direction of Richard Strauss , the work has never left the poster with the great operas prestigious distribution.

was a challenge to represent this story in various places on the small stage of the Grand Foyer of the Opera. Bet winner.

On the small stage, some stools and red removable passable: they will turn a seat, bed, pedestal mountain. One thinks of those of the Aix Festival a few years ago, those of frozen Don Giovanni

"Findus" Peter Brook, icy. Here, not cold, but cool as a staging inventive than soloists juvenile matrons happily changing lyrical, even famous, which entrusted the lead roles, but the childish and complex vocal music, he is true (Mezzo scheduled a retransmisssion in Covent Garden). Nicole Berloffa , to whom we owe a Trip to Reims which nicely traveled to France, has succeeded in this ingenious staging, coupled with a remarkable actor direction where all stakeholders play just.

is with pleasure that one sees and hears affirmed and confirmed the vocal and theatrical, previously outlined, the couple who plays the young hero Delalande Hélène , mezzo, in Hänsel, boyish but lightweight Jennifer Michel , soprano, Gretel, mischievous, brilliant, two votes equal to the volume in complex duets where their complicity and complementarity are wonderful. With joy, embodying very presence of the Mother, we find the mezzo Ai Wu , whose tone satin moiré has enriched the finer stuff. A newcomer Korean Kim Taeill , ready for Santa, a beautiful baritone valiant. Shoko Kumada , light soprano, arrived in Japan in a brief appearance, is the fairy dew on a piano full of bells and lace, and Déborah Attal-Ménélia , Sandman, has time to rob us of a gentle lullaby that can only give sweet dreams with this soft, fruity timbre.
But, in the role the longest off the children, the Japanese Tomoko Hayakawa in witch ogress, deploys a magnificent mezzo sumptuous the fabric, velvet dark in the low-bodied, medium colored , verve and comic vein, spirited, mobile face, rolling eyes, changing in a flash of expression: a revelation.

We welcome the musical cohesion given by Ivan Domzalski who prepared the singers. At the piano, Nina Uhari , giving as a gift the beautiful page of the interlude led down tempo without this long and complex score's rich chromaticism, with delicious modulations, proving, if proof were needed, that the great pianist is.

Opera de Marseille 15, 16 and 17 December; Avignon Opera Theater December 18, 2010.

Hänsel und Gretel

Engelbert Humperdinck

Last space Nicole Berloffa;

Distribution :

Delalande Hélène: Hansel, Jennifer Michel, Gretel; Ai Wu: Mother;

-Ménélia Deborah Attal: The Sandman; Shoko Kumada: Fairy Rose Tomoko Hayakawa: the Witch; Taeill Kim: Fr.

Piano Nina Uhari.

Photos: Artists, in the order of distribution followed by Nina Huari.

The Path Of Water In The Body

Freeman.

I like to be able to always be free.

When certain melodies resonate and make me twirl, I feel buried that freedom has this wild scent alone can guide my life. This fragrance

already pierced me to cry. Yes, I cried the desire to live, I cried the desire to desire, desire to be free. And since I am born a few months, this freedom. At least I feel. I took my suitcase and I left on the roads. Those who need a spotter and yet I chosen to borrow with only light my little candle. These paths bushy, thorny. These paths, which sometimes result in a verdant ridge where I see coming off the lofty peaks. Shimmering majesty. Solitary freedom. I would so

shine through the fog fogs this mysterious road.

But ... but ... where am I?

I shouted so much to show that there were other thing in me. Courage. The courage to do what my heart desired, outside my walls, outside the conventions, except in the middle. Yes but not

outlaws.

So yes, it is within my reach, it will be within my reach. I collect.

My freedom.

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Words

July 16, 2010

There are certain words like an old sweater that likes to wear even if it has neither form nor color. He is mellow and full, one would cower.

There are words that I love and cherish me with an incredible sweetness. Hiding them in the mysteries of unsuspected mysterious smiles
accomplices.

Like their heat when they reveal themselves to me like an orange sun behind a dune desert.
Like their freshness when torrential rains fall as indomitable. They dunk me until I have no choice but to laugh.

And joyous bursts the book is written,
word after word

Words of joy, living words
Words country lost
fallen angels, played on my sheet

A black ink from my pen inflexible. I write, you exist. You'll fly over, I will break the wings as you let me fly.

Forgive me.

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Marseille Havana

GROUP Compay Segundo

Marseille, Espace Julien

November 2, 2010

Compay Segundo

Compay Segundo, will not have been a meteor of Cuban popular music. His real name, Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz , father of Andalusian recently installed in Cuba hardly independent from Spain (1898), he was born in 1907 in Siboney, a town named after former Indian native of Cuba , immortalized by the famous habanera drawn from a zarzuela by Lecuona, near Santiago de Cuba's rich folklore which will be the champion, and died on 14 July 2003, at 96 years. As longevity virile and vital art, which he gave with his humor Cuban recipe: "Rum, cigars and women", what we have here once translated into a song, if you want to believe: "Cigarettes p'tites whiskey and grandmas. "

Falsely retired in 1970, 1997, with the release of the album Buena Vista Social Club produced by guitarist Ry Cooder and documentary film maker Wim Wenders in 1999, he enters the world stage. Four years of touring and international fame for Compay and his group and, with surprise and delight, we discover the freshness and rhythmic vitality of this nonagenarian invigorating and almost all contemporary musicians. It's a whole section of traditional Cuban musical heritage they hand with current evidence and make a dazzling repertoire now universal.

Group Compay Segundo

Compay death, or rather, simply died, his group continues and continues to sustain it and becomes the heir and custodian of this wonderful Cuban popular music of his native province We find his son Salvador Repilado (bass), Basilio Repilado , claves and vocals, Hugo Garzón (singer, host) and a few musicians still "Buena Vista Social Club", whose average age is necessarily need a renewal. But the directory is still as youthful and lively. And in this space Julien, Compay himself played ten years earlier, audiences of all ages press, cheered, sang, and gets up to dance or dance in his chair, possessed with an irresistible rhythmic Cuban contagious.

To begin, it's a song in tribute to Compay and the evening will be punctuated by others with the Cuban genius improviser slippery in any song, without solution of the rhythm, rhythmic echo, "Ay, Compay!", as the room itself will be invited to sing.

Apart from two famous boleros, Dos gardenias and Perfidia , there are some successes of the famous disc. Not sure, but some Hispanics, the room understands flavor, puns rogues, falls so humorous quatrains Sabroso , this Aguador, bearer of two-way water and blood, ready to extinguish the fire ladies isolated in their fifth floor of the irresistible Ternera. A singer (remember Omara Portuondo?) will perform two songs, a Cuban Marseille, saxophonist, will be invited to play with the band, and an Italian guitarist. Basilio, will provide a captivating Saludo Chango , hello to one orishas , deities of Santería pantheon of , syncretic religion, a mixture of African and Catholic beliefs, avatar Yoruba of Santa Barbara and Jupiter. But essentially it will be those Viejos sones de Santiago , music from the region of Oriente, Santiago, Compay which became a composer, performer and celebrated, the son montuno set for by the Trio Matamoros .

The his

Derived from the diminutive slide danzón (derived from danza came from the contradanza , the French quadrille, itself derived from the country dance English!), The his is a cocktail of influences, Hispanic and African miracle of Cuban syncretism: antiphonal singing where singer and alternates group, choir or chorus launching a brief a simple word and the soloist improvises a verse without necessarily report what has preceded. The support base originally was brief but effective percussion instruments: bongos, congas, claves (two sticks of wood), maracas, and especially this very , this little guitar played with a plectrum, three pairs of double metal strings, which will become the Armonico with a rope and more, invented by Compay. Here, the veteran group is a virtuoso who launches into dizzying improvisation where melody, fainting, all is more than rhythm. But, bass, woodwinds and guitars bring here another density.

Claimed to cry in the room, as an encore, we will Chan chan naturally punctuated by heart-all with "ay, Compay!". It's warm and friendly, Havana Marseille (which some seek to match, see link above) as an obvious pairing of the heart, color.

Photos Yves Bergé.

1. The group

2. The virtuoso very .

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Brahms Sextet

OPERA DE MARSEILLE

Chamber Music

BRAHMS Sextet

November 27

activities Opera

Opera de Marseille is not that great temple of opera with a population fervent passion beautiful voice, attracted by a scholarly conference operas first presents to the public in the foyer. It is also the top place with a superb symphonic season trying to think outside the box programs hackneyed orchestral music to the ears to offer music lovers little known, unknown, unknown, since there are also creations from commands.

This month, Americans, Barber, Bernstein, Gershwin was a portico to the symphony commissioned pianist and composer Nicolas Mazmanian , therefore, given its world premiere under the able ferrule inflamed Condette Guy, who also directed the virtuoso violinist Nemanja Radulovic . Each month, the sumptuous grand foyer, two hours tea welcome soloists CNIPAL . But Saturday afternoon, musicians from the Orchestra of the Opera produced it in training chamber, leaving talk their taste and talent for a more intimate music that draws a large audience at an attractive price of 5 €. The morning of the concerts is a valuable white card that is offered to students from the Conservatory Marseille who volunteer under the masterful and friendly Jean-Claude Latil (oboist of the orchestra and professor at the Conservatoire) small concerts that allow them to rub the public in this exciting and prestigious location.

should also talk about moving the Orchestra area or in places that do not frequent the music, hospitals or prisons, and all educational activities for kids, future audience with Operation Opera is class, with visits Opera and its workshops, awareness and introduction to careers in opera.

The Opera, therefore, this magnificent palace, listed Art Deco jewel, far from being cloistered behind its gates, its artistic ironwork, retreat into rigid height colonnades and marble glazed, is a real beating heart in the city, a place of perpetuation of the directory and creation, which also live about three hundred and twenty permanent, excluding intermittent.

Brahms Sextet

It is with regret at not being able to account for so many activities we resolved to speak only of this unique chamber concert, this performance by musicians from String Orchestra of the Brahms sextets so little frequented by discography that focuses symphonies and sonatas.

Music has its place that will call. The beige stucco and greige the grand foyer, reverberating with pieces of glossy brown, lightning frozen in marble, duplicated by the big mirror background, the geometric parquet frieze and butter amber, seem to give their colors and sepia brown wooden platform, and tables, the hulls of pairs of violins, violas and cellos are like a warm honey emanation, caramel, cinnamon, short ships waiting to sail on the music, fly on its wings.

The harmony of colors, clean lines, anticipates that sounds, notes, if dominated proportions, colors, if licked, when polite but Brahms crossings rages Thunderstorms and intimate: the image the quality of this interpretation, all intelligence and sensitivity to detail, an architecture with the conventional external geometry denied pulses, veins feverish romantic colors, shorelines and drift variations, nuances and Blender, d ornaments internal eye that, in this place, refers to spirals, swirls, twists and turns of the frills of the finest wrought iron railings black, accented with copper, stairs and balconies, which roll and unroll a varied theme before returning to the original measure.

The ear sees and eye viewing this osmosis shapes and sounds, and it follows that look crisp and accomplice instrumentalists who, as far as their fingers, music is circulated among them. Visible happiness, they play for themselves and us into this happiness. Everyone will have virtually all his time soloist and rely, without confusion, in a nice unit, a sensitive dynamic instruments and bodies, sometimes leaping like that of the viola. We love these tempi without weakness, melted string bass to treble, these veins from a natural color, this path voluptuous melody of Brahms planted stones mischievous pizzicato. Questions, answers, dialogues, false outputs well formed, and cadences perorations brilliant, everything sounds fair and consistent when we feared the excessive reverberation of polished marble, but treacherous to the sound.

The musicians were chosen to give in reverse chronological order the two string sextets by Brahms, the opus 18 in B flat major and opus 36 in G major respectively of 1859/1860 and 1864/1865. One example of this cohesion and good measure: the 2 e movement of the first, grand-flavored theme Slavic is very sensitive: too pressed, it becomes emphatic, too fast, he loses his greatness, too slow, he is pompous. Here, the Andante moderato I think finding the right tempo such a march from proud and fatal (andante ), but without running inexorably toward its decomposition into five virtuoso variations and whirling that take you by the throat with emotion.

link here given to extracts of this beautiful interpretation betrays greatness and weakness of live unfortunately some little the color of the place and sound.

Marseille Opera,

; Chamber Music: Sextets Brahms

through the instrumentalists of the Orchestra of the Opera

Photo :

; 1. Opera de Marseille;

2. Musicians:

left to right: Roland Muller , Alexander Amedro (violin), Xavier Franck , Magali Demesse (altitude), Jean-Eric Thirault and Odile Gabrielli (cello).

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FESTIVAL OF SAINT-VICTOR

44 ^e FESTIVAL OF SAINT-VICTOR

Chemin de Saint-Jacques Marseille step

Arianna Savall, Ensemble La Fenice

St. Victor e based at the V , the oldest abbey in France, with its 1,500 years, houses, for 44 years a great music festival. This stone vessel would have raised a huge swell of the Old Port to the file in tribute to the top of the promontory which is the first step to climb to the Virgin of the Guard post, seems its niche, sink your teeth into the sky.

As used throughout the ramifications of its European routes religious buildings offered rest and a step and pious pilgrims, is a Jacobean route, deviated slightly to the south who halted with Arianna Savall and Ensemble La Fenice directed by Jean Tubéry .

St. Jacques de Compostela

The tip of Europe, the extreme western tip that eventually land on the continent, this last promontory that plunges into the dark abyss the ocean like a taut bow to the unknown "dark sea" to limit or to the end of the world, has remained committed since the dawn of time, magic, miracle, in witchcraft: The site called for in the ritual, worship, culture. The Celts celebrated their mysterious practices; superimposed the Romans before their gods that Christians do not replace the idols by the saints and goddesses by their virgins.

On summer nights, above the heads dreaming of travel, nostalgic signs, anxious wonderful, the Milky Way with its myriads of stars processionary seems to draw from the confines of the most remote distant Europe Northern white nebulous path that leads towards this end miraculously finished and defined the earth Campus Stellae , Compostela, 'Field of stars', as the Romans would call.

During the centuries since the Middle Ages, thousands of men lost in misery but frantic faith, piety, follow this path in the darkness of their sinful lives in search of divine mercy, the recovery purify them through a compassionate intercessor, Saint-Jacques, hyphen earth and God. It's amazing that the noise ran ay we discovered the tomb of the apostle St., Jerusalem taken by the infidels, with Rome, St. Jacques became the great Christian pilgrimage. And the first crusade against the Muslims who invaded Spain, except that the north, which will drain a timely attendance and financial support for military combat: the Cross against the Crescent. And Saint-Jacques, on his white horse, his red cape flying in the wind, waving a bright and blazing sword, became Saint-Jacques Matamoros, literally, 'Matamoros', killer of Moors, appearing in the clouds to guide the Christians and warrior hounds addition to the infidel.

One way of Saint Jacques

In music, the path from Strasbourg we had artists, punctuated by steps secular, linguistic and musical, which marked the long, harsh and patient path made by the pilgrims on foot, hat head, a hand bell and shell the other for drinking and begging: the Coquillards.

On an organ drone that treats the web shadowy aisles of the dark background of the abbey, a fine voice, gently luminous thread, breadcrumb trail of faith and looks forward figure lit a smile of the soprano who joined the choir in a semicircle, like welcoming arms of the apse. Atmosphere is created: sweetness, enthusiasm, charm, poetry.

Arianna Savall, miniature smiling, is not disfigured by a great voice and the four musicians sound to soften his touch. The organ makes a soft plush carpets, sometimes glittering gold money from the harpsichord, cornet, blurred mist the dulcian as sweet as his name trace hazy horizons and the flute sharpens spirals, interlacing lakes and golden ornaments such as gothic or baroque flourishes on top of it while the strings plucked theorbo and guitar piquètent delicate lace the soft tissue air music. Ariane itself recites the notes of the harp and gold stars are born under her fingers, halo light mandorla sticker gothic.

is refined, delicate and simple at once, not without humor: John Tubéry to distinguish the steps, said jokingly texts, or more naive scholars from these ancient codices, who captured the poems and songs collected along the roads to alleviate the hardships the pilgrims and vicissitudes of this long journey.

The songs are religious or secular, serious or gay, or slow dancing. We go from Gregorian chant to the departure of Strasbourg and linguistic landscape of musical eras and regions crossed: one follows the Rhone, we believe, in the Avignon popes, Italy (Matteo Coferati) who join the wandering cohort with their music. Then there are countries where the langue d'oc are found around the corner with Stephen Moulinié "air de cour" cleverly decorated in his cuts, and will be seen after Aragon and Castile English tunes in this kind of melting pot of cultures that became such pilgrimages where Andrea Falconiero coexists with Bataille, Soler, which brewed people, their languages, cultures and building finally walking to Compostela.

Touching trip back in time and dreamy heart of man seeking redemption. One regret: with such a beautiful music program, a program so full of mistakes. But the faults and mixtures of languages are probably atoned for down the road of Saint-Jacques.

Photos: Yves Bergé

1. Abbey of Saint-Victor;

2. Arianna Savall and the ensemble La Fenice;

3. At right, Jean Tubéry.

Festival of Saint-Victor
November 25, 2010

A camino de Santiago
by Arianna Savall and Ensemble La Fenice:

La Fenice Officer Jean Tubéry, recorders, trumpet, vocals;

Ariana Savall, soprano, harp;

Juan Sebastian Lima, theorbo, guitar;

Krzysztof Lewandoski , dulcian;

Michael Hell, organ, harpsichord, recorders, vocals.