Julie (2004)
Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles
Libretto Luc Bondy (after Fröken Julie from August Strindberg)
conductor Jean-Paul Dessy Mise-en-scène Matthew Jocelyn actors Carolina Bruck-
Santos (Julie), Alexander Knop (Jean), Agnieszka Slawinska (Kristin)
”Philippe Boesmans is undoubtedly one of the greatest opera composers of his day. Julie represents
the quintessence of his art of theatre put to music. Outwardly, this appears to be a small-scale opera: it has 3 singers, an orchestra reduced to 19 instrumentalists, and lasts only 70 minutes. But with remarkable maximising of resources, this piece manages to condense the entirety of Philippe Boesmans’ art. Every sound, vocal or instrumental, serves to enhance the expressiveness of the text.” Jean-Paul Dessy Despair and an impossible encounter lead to an inextricable chain of events which take place on St John’s Night, in a ruined kitchen (Julie’s mother once set fire to the house, which was destroyed).
In opera, when evoking the internal world of the characters that we bring to life, there is no way of avoiding the emotional. One must be able to write music that can be sad or joyful, music that can express loneliness, jealousy, or a sense of exclusion. In the slightly abstract language of post serialism, however, this was impossible. Other ways had to be found, and I searched for them progressively. Operas allowed me to find my way and my music. That is surely reflected in each of the pieces I have written. I had to find expressive solutions. Philippe Boesmans, “music must express life” (December 2008), interview by Isabelle Françaix.
| Attachment | Size |
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| JULIE_programme.pdf | 576.48 KB |
Mons
Co-prod. le manège.mons / Musiques Nouvelles, la Scène Nationale d’Orléans, Arcadi, DMDTS , Région Centre, Ars Musica
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