Guercœur
Albéric Magnard
Nouvelle production de l’OnR.
Opera in three acts.
Libretto by the composer.
First performed on 23 April 1931 at the Opéra de Paris.
Part of the Arsmondo Utopia Festival.
Infos
Mulhouse
La Filature
Strasbourg
Opéra
Entractes compris.
Une heure avant chaque représentation, nous vous proposons un prologue de 30 minutes pour vous familiariser avec l’œuvre et la mise en scène que vous allez découvrir.
Captation réalisée par France Musique et BelAir Media.
Diffusion sur France Musique le samedi 25 mai 2024 à 20h dans Samedi à l’Opéra. Ultérieurement disponible à la réécoute sur le site de France Musique et l’application Radio France.
Captation vidéo disponible sur ARTE Concert à partir du 25 mai avec sous-titrage en six langues.
En partenariat avec France 3 Grand Est.
Avec le soutien de la Caisse d’Epargne Grand Est Europe, mécène principal, ainsi que de l’entreprise Collectal.
Cast
Direction musicale Ingo Metzmacher à Strasbourg, Anthony Fournier à Mulhouse Mise en scène Christof Loy Décors Johannes Leiacker Costumes Ursula Renzenbrink Lumières Olaf Winter Chef de Chœur de l’Opéra national du Rhin Hendrik Haas Chœur de l’Opéra national du Rhin, Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg
Artists
Guercœur Stéphane Degout Vérité Catherine Hunold Giselle Antoinette Dennefeld Heurtal Julien Henric Bonté Eugénie Joneau Beauté Gabrielle Philiponet Souffrance Adriana Bignagni Lesca L’Ombre d’une femme Marie Lenormand L’Ombre d’une vierge Alysia Hanshaw L’Ombre d’un poète Glen Cunningham
Presentation
In the ethereal afterlife, there is no time or space. The shades, freed from their earthly cares, celebrate the greatness of the Goddess of Truth. Shrouded in eternal glory, she sits triumphant, flanked by Beauty and Goodness, while at her feet lies Suffering in her mantle of blood. In the midst of this chorus of praise, a discordant lament rises: “To live! Who will give me back the thrill of life?” The voice belongs to Guercœur, who died in the prime of life after falling in love with Giselle and freeing his people from a tyrant, assisted by his friend Heurtal. Unable to rest, Guercœur begs to return to his fleshly form. Truth warns him: two years have already passed on Earth where nothing lasts forever. His fall from paradise could be brutal…
A man with principles, a feminist and a Dreyfusard, Albéric Magnard (1865-1914) was like his character: a hero who died for the freedom of his country. He was killed in September 1914 while single-handedly trying to protect his property from German soldiers who burned down his house in retaliation. Most of his unpublished manuscripts were destroyed, including Guercœur, which was later miraculously reconstructed. After a long spell in the purgatory of forgotten masterpieces, this fascinating opera, whose magnificent score contains post-Wagnerian flashes transmuted by the colours of French music, returns to a French opera stage for the first time since its premiere in 1931, thanks to Ingo Metzmacher, Christof Loy and Stéphane Degout.
