Why do the great classic heroines die at the end of their works? This is the question posed by Swiss director François Grémaud who, after “Phèdre” and “Giselle”, closes a trilogy full of humor on this theme with “Carmen”.
On March 3, 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, the premiere of Carmen is a failure. Its composer, Georges Bizet, died three months later, before his work became the most performed lyrical piece in the world. What displeased at the time was the character of the character, a free bohemian, who defies men. No one cares to witness the murder of a woman, whose only wrong was to choose her lovers.
It is this time gap that François Grémaud questions, in a piece in the form of a musical conference, played and sung by Rosemary Standley, revealed during the time of the Moriarty group. “We asked ourselves a lot about representing this feminicide on stageconfides the singer. What meaning does it have today to still represent this type of piece? The challenge was precisely not to change anything about history, but to comment on it with our today’s perspective in a current reading.
On a bare stage, Rosemary Standley, with incredible theatrical and vocal ease, recounts the genesis of Carmen, moves from song to story, barely supporting the line. The shocking machismo of the male characters is revealed, it’s better to laugh about it. Here, there is no question of condemning a work with our today’s values, especially since Carmen keeps an inspiring musical breath.
“A tube machine”
“It’s a hit machine, this opera, enthuses his interpreter of the moment. There is still a joy, a freedom, a liveliness, of life even on the scenes which are very dramatic. In the end, it’s the joy of music that wins.” And the performance is remarkable. Rosemary Standley also sings the male arias, moving from one register to another, surrounded by virtuoso musicians on the violin, harp, flute but also saxophone and accordion, a subtle work of adaptation.
“I don’t have a bass voice and then I don’t have a high soprano voice eitherconcedes Rosemary Standley. So we had to go down a few tones. There are tones that don’t suit certain instruments so it was ultimately a struggle to see who was right in the end.”she laughs.
The representations of Carmen by François Grémaud, Saturday October 21 at the Théâtre des Abbesses in Paris and November 16 and 17 in Saint-Ouen, are sold out. But you can perhaps still try your luck in Grasse, Arles, Cavaillon, Lyon, Compiègne, Dunkirk, Annecy, Toulouse or Strasbourg.