Micromegas

What is striking about Voltaire's work is the timelessness of his thought, the modernity of his words. A work of science fiction in its own right, Micromégas is a satirical and argumentative philosophical tale that denounces injustice, religious intolerance, war, human folly and ignorance, and above all, anthropocentrism. All these subjects, addressed in the marvelous prose of this universal author, who defends the idea that human beliefs are not absolute and that our senses prevent us from being completely objective and certain, display an extraordinary contemporary relevance.
Four composers, a librettist, a videographer, three singers and an ensemble have taken hold of this work to create a unique opera, which skillfully blends philosophy, science fiction, humor and derision in the form of a tale with multiple interpretations.

Interview with Benoît Menut

Micromégas, Voltaire's philosophical tale published in 1752, is a new creation for the Next Opera Days festival. Four composers with very different styles (Line Adam, Anne Martin, Benoît Menut, and Alexander Vert), combined with visual designs by Thomas Pénanguer and a libretto by Alexandre Castant, have composed this original work, which will be performed by Jean-Paul Dessy and the Musiques Nouvelles ensemble. Through the adventures of the giant Micromégas from the planet Sirius, Voltaire offers, in this 18th-century galactic tale, an uncompromising vision of the human condition.

How did this project – your participation in an opera that adapts Voltaire's tale, Micromégas – come about?

"It's a rather baroque idea from Bruno Letort, director of the Next Opera Days Festival. The idea was to have each part written by four different composers (Line Adam, Anne Martin, Alexander Vert, and myself), each with a very different musical aesthetic. I think Bruno had a certain idea of risk-taking and inventiveness in mind for this. In addition, there was obviously a libretto to write, in this case by Alexandre Castant, and a video design by Thomas Pénanguer to create, because it's not an opera with traditional sets… Finally, the deadlines were quite tight, which is unusual. So it's a project full of urgency and risk, and that's what makes it so interesting. Each composer develops their part; it's a kind of constraint, and ultimately, there's no art without constraints."

The first observation that your work and this adaptation invite us to make is, of course, your love of literature. This is evident both in your personal journey and in your creative work and collaborations. Could you elaborate on this literary interest of yours as a composer?

This interest exists from two perspectives: an intimate one and a public one. From the intimate perspective, I love the memory of words and sounds. Since childhood, words and music have resonated deeply within me, so much so that I have embraced the concept of the 14th-century French composer and writer Guillaume de Machaut: "Music is poetry"—these two arts are very closely linked. When I speak of poetry, I am referring to the music of words in the broadest sense (the pages of a novel, a philosophical essay, or a play are, in this sense, music). Moreover, a whole vocabulary associates and connects them: harmony, construction, structure, resonance, rhythm, form… These two arts share very similar lexical fields. Furthermore, while, from an inner perspective, words sing, there is also the theater of the page in which the words find themselves: the dramaturgy of a poem can be a moment of musical theater! From an outsider's perspective, my aim is to convey, as best I can to the public, the connection I perceive and feel between words and music. In my view, it's essential to bring to light the multiple meanings of literary texts, including their layers of subtext. Furthermore, I have collaborated extensively with contemporary playwrights, poets, and writers such as Catherine Anne, Dominique Lambert, and Florence Lavaud, as well as the late Christian Bobin. I have also created adaptations of works by Gustave Flaubert and Jean Giono. I enjoy approaching words as a play of symbols, layering meanings and different interpretations.

More specifically, in connection with Micromégas now, how does one create an opera from such an original text, somewhere between a tale, even a philosophical farce, and science fiction? How do the narrative and the musical elements interact or diverge?

- Narrative and musical elements are inseparable! Micromégas is a dream opera and a dream of opera! With different levels of interpretation that connect the plot of the tale, the fantastical, the philosophical, textual digressions, possible links with history, and even with our own time! Everything in it is transposable to today… It's like the fables of Aesop or La Fontaine… And then, it's even better with music! Alexandre Castant's libretto opens up freedoms and sonic spaces that offer a new kind of time… In the songs, the spoken word, the music, and the philosophy of Micromégas , there is, in my opinion, a form of "secular and universalist liturgy"… Because, from a political point of view, Voltaire is essential! In Micromégas , he constantly denounces the folly of dogma. He puts “Man,” and the size of “Man,” in its proper place (literally and figuratively, since Micromégas is a giant who comes to discover planet Earth, its vicissitudes and its horrors…). Voltaire denounces anthropocentrism, defends the relativism of perceptions and the reason of science. Then, speaking to us from “grain of sand” to “grain of sand,” he asks us: does this world have meaning?

You also have works for orchestra, chamber music, and choral music. Within such a diverse range of compositions, what place do your operas occupy? More generally, regarding the Next Opera Days festival, which explores new operatic forms, how do you envision the future and the form of opera in contemporary music?

I am a man who loves opera, and my relationship with operatic forms seems to be increasingly the direction I'm heading, with a growing appetite for the genre. I currently have two or three ideas for future operas… It's also a belief in musical theatre and music in theatre! I believe opera has a very bright future and can produce, like that somewhat forgotten genre of melodrama, eminently modern creations. Furthermore, I can't imagine a future without a sung story! Prima la musica!