Seven Stones
Ondřej Adámek (1979)
THE FESTIVAL D'AIX-EN-PROVENCE
WORLD PREMIERE
Opera a capella for four soloist singers
and twelve chorister singers
Libretto by Sjón
New production of the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and its Académie
In coproduction with accentus / axe 21, Opéra de Rouen Normandie, ARS Musica
A rendezvous MP2018 Quel Amour !
- Libération
"A brilliant score and powerfully original using a number of prototype instruments. [...] Adámek is the contemporary scene's troublemaker, but it is obviously his score which is the most impressive originality of this show." Guillaume Tion - Luxemburg Wort
"The music is admirable in its invention, in its humour, in its realisation on stage. It is the revelation of this edition." Stéphane Gilbart - Opera Today
"A futuristic opera indeed. It blew us away by sheer audacity, charmed us by sheer audacity and entertained us by sheer audacity. [...] The singers magnify the colors of their sound world by hitting, rubbing or pounding on abstract constructions" Michael Milenski - CLASSICAGENDA.COM
"The singers and musicians of this operatic phenomenon, highly applauded in Aix, deserve more than praise, an ovation." Luc Evrard
time — the difference between man
and stone is time — when man has turned
to dust the stone retains its shape
A mineralogist-collector who has got lost down a snowy lane remembers: many years earlier, he had gone in search of the first stone – the one that was almost used to stone to death the adulterous woman who was saved by Christ. During this seven-year long journey that takes him from Buenos Aires to Paris and from Japan to Iceland, the collector discovered many other stones... And the end of his journey leads to the conclusion of his quest – and to tragedy. Presenting this chamber fresco in the elegant red velvet atmosphere of the Jeu de Paume Theatre, Icelandic poet Sjón and Czech composer Ondřej Adámek tell a universal story that has the grace of our dreams and the force of our nightmares. Giving life to the shimmering precious stones of the opera in English are the voices of twelve choral singers from accentus and four soloists, who will be playing a number of surprising instruments and objects, some specially invented for this original, accessible and fascinating new production.
with the support of
Ministry of Culture and Communication
(Support for the writing of an original musical work)
Fondation Meyer pour le développement culturel et artistique
Fonds de Création Lyrique
Monsieur Bernard Barone, Madame Anne-Laurence Bonnot, Monsieur François Bournerias, Madame Caroline Claverie, Madame Edilia Gaenz, Monsieur Stéphane Péard et Madame et Monsieur Demesthene Severis
Prices : 70€, 50€, 30€
Youth ticket price : 9€
Children's discovery offer for all performances
Performance available with season ticket packages and Premium or Prestige offers
1 hour and 20 minutes
Sung in English with French surtitles
