Joan of Arc at the Stake: An Opera for Great Actresses

• Opera Teresa Berganza, the diva that not even Karajan could silence

After its premiere in

in 1938, the great oratorio

,

's masterpiece , had two singular aspirations: to be performed as if it were an opera and to have not a singing diva but an actress of first magnitude.

The first was

, who had brought it about.

Others followed until the historic appearances of

, who also brought the character to the movies.

In the

, in co-production with the Frankfurt opera house, the sovereign stage presence of

, protagonist and axis of a very remarkable day.

Honegger used

's poem, which is at once a historical drama, a patriotic proclamation of chauvinism included, and a blatant confrontation between the celestial world, human rivalries, and the ideology that can make someone a holy savior for some. and for others an evil witch.

Without forgetting that the singular character is an illiterate peasant, but visionary, immolated at the age of eighteen.

The music is a sharp and personal summary of the avant-garde of her time with an impressive choral work and a modern and wise orchestra in which the then new

are integrated .

There are several sung and spoken characters, all excellent on this occasion, but subordinate to the performance of the main actress who was superb.

More is needed: an exceptional choir, a stage direction and a great musical director.

There were.

, prepared by Andrés Maspero, shone fully, as well as the

, with whom

achieves extraordinary results.

prepared a scenic vision deeply rooted in the

, that of the beginnings, in which the earthly and the heavenly subtly shake hands like opera and oratorio in a tremendous but exciting show.

And with all this, a sovereign musical direction.

Undoubtedly ,

is the most international Spanish director at the moment.

And here he not only showed it.

but he showed a deep musical maturity.

Great performance by the teacher.

With him and Cotillard we witness a version that today there is no better anywhere.

As a prologue, and almost as a huge contrast,

was offered on a text by

that is a glorification of the eternal earthly and heavenly feminine.

Precious and precious work, well sung by

and

, caressed by choir and orchestra under the subtle and delicate direction of Mena.

Very well the scenic transition between the two works.

Then would come the great flare-up, that 'John of Arc at the Bonfire' by Cotillard, Ollé and Mena, which will not be easy to forget and which was a resounding success.

Data sheet

Works

: La Demoiselle elue, text Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Debussy music.

Joan of Arc at the stake, text Paul Claude, music Arthur Honegger.

Marion Cotillard, actress, soloists, Principal Orchestra and Choir of the Teatro Real, Little Singers of the JORCAM.

Stage manager.

Alex Olle.

music direction

Juanjo Mena.

From June 7, 2022.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

• actresses

• theater

• Opera