THE ‘MIDIS DU FESTIVAL’

— THURSDAY 4 JULY AT NOON, HÔTEL MAYNIER D'OPPÈDE
THE MAKING OF SAMSON

A libretto by Voltaire that has survived intact, plus traces of a lost score by Rameau that can be found in his body of work: thus begins the story of Samson, the fruit of one of the most fascinating collaborations in the history of opera. To reveal the intricacies of ‘free re-creation’ — Raphaël Pichon and Claus Guth’ unique and innovative process — various actors behind the production revisit the making of this baroque opera. With Voltaire's radically free spirit and Rameau's musical genius as their inspiration, how did they construct their tailor-made storyline, the result of constant conversation between dramaturge, musical director and stage director? What does this bold project — which actually invents a new work more than it re-creates a forgotten one —tell us about what artists wish to offer their audiences today? In the eighteenth century, the libretto, based on the story in the Bible, was deemed too controversial and was therefore put to one side: what meaning do these archaic resonances hold today for our collective unconscious? Lastly, the Middle East in which Samson is set is divided by two opposing populations: how does the opera, which rejects any univocal or Manichean reading, explore this opposition in its own way?

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Raphaël Pichon (conductor and musical concept - Samson), Claus Guth (stage director, concept and scenario - Samson), Eddy Garaudel (editorial associate - Samson) and Mathis Nitschke (sound designer - Samson).
MODERATOR: TIMOTHÉE PICARD

— MONDAY 8 JULY AT NOON, ÉCOLE SAINTE-CATHERINE
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP FOR TOMORROW'S CREATION

By reserving time for creation, rethinking artistic collaborations and reinventing the exercise of concert-giving, the Multidisciplinary Residency explores a new relationship to performance. Developed by the Académie du Festival d'Aix, the programme creates an unprecedented space in which performers, curators, stage directors, choreographers, composers, dramaturges and performing artists can meet and discuss. Centred around ‘the voice’ – a profoundly multidisciplinary theme that also resonates with the Festival's programme – the Multidisciplinary Residency is a valuable time for reflection and a true laboratory for contemporary creation. What place do we give to collective creation today? What needs to be transformed or reinvented in the relationship between artists and audiences? What role do cultural institutions play in inventing new forms of performance?

DISCUSSION IN ENGLISH
WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Piersandra di Matteo (mentor artist - Multidisciplinary Residency), Claron McFadden (guest artist - Multidisciplinary Residency), Bronwyn Lace (visual artist - The Center for the Less Good Idea), Neo Muyanga (composer and installation artist - The Center for the Less Good Idea) and Paul Briottet (deputy director - Académie du Festival d’Aix).
MODERATOR: CLAIRE FRAYSSE

— TUESDAY 9 JULY AT NOON, ÉCOLE SAINTE-CATHERINE
TODAY'S BAROQUE MUSIC

With Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, Samson and the two Iphigénies, the 2024 Festival d'Aix embraces all that is baroque, thus reflecting the undeniable energy that defines the repertoire today, as well as the exceptional artists who perform it. In this discussion, several figures from this year’s productions explore the underpinning reasons for this great success. What is it about the baroque repertoire that affects us so deeply today? Performing this repertoire also involves concrete technical challenges: How do you choose the pitch? Must the music be played on period instruments? Is the way you work with instrumentalists and singers different in this repertoire than in others? Do women, especially conductors, have the same status here as in other aesthetics? Finally, how is the ecosystem of baroque music changing today, given both the institutionalisation of major ensembles and the need to make room for a new generation?

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Emmanuelle Haïm (conductor - Iphigénie en Aulide — Iphigénie en Tauride), Leonardo García Alarcón (conductor - Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria), Camille Delaforge (resident woman conductor - Voice Residency) and Caroline Mounier-Vehier (doctor of theatre studies).
MODERATOR: TIMOTHÉE PICARD

— SATURDAY 13 JULY AT NOON, ÉCOLE SAINTE-CATHERINE
FOCUS ON A PROFESSION: STAGE MANAGERS

Like invisible conductors, they coordinate, from the shadows, all the technical aspects of an opera production: they are the stage, lighting, machinery and audio-visual managers. In the early months of a project, they begin verifying that the staging (e.g. the construction, assembly and transport of the set) is feasible. During the performance, stage managers serve as the link between the artistic and the technical teams by giving the various ‘cues’ that tell performers to make their entrances or ensure that specific effects occur on time. The success of a production depends on their attention to detail and their ability to anticipate and adapt to unforeseen events on the big night. This panel discussion will give a voice to these driving forces of opera at the centre of artistic creation: At different stages of an opera production, how exactly do they organise with the other teams (stage management, the musical direction, production, and performing artists)? And why are these positions held predominantly by women at the Festival d'Aix? Finally, because the stage re-creates the universe on a human scale, it also reflects a certain vision of the world: How can art and science historians further enlighten us on this discussion topic?

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Julie Serré (stage manager - Madama Butterfly), Nathalie Plotka (stage manager - Pelléas et Mélisande), Adrien Rigal (stage manager - Madama Butterfly) and Frédérique Aït-Touati (stage director and historian of science).
MODERATOR: DAVID CHRISTOFFEL FOR MÉTACLASSIQUE

— TUESDAY 16 JULY AT NOON, ÉCOLE SAINTE-CATHERINE
A NEW GOLDEN AGE OF FRENCH SINGING

With Samson, the two Iphigénies and Pelléas et Mélisande, French-language opera is in the spotlight at the 2024 Festival d'Aix. Each of these works stands as a manifesto in its own way, offering new reflections on the declamatory ideal. From Rameau to Debussy, the alliance of sound and word is reinvented: Samson and the two Iphigénies keep text and score closely connected, while Pelléas et Mélisande redefines the boundaries of the musical phrase by blurring its contours. This edition, which features many major figures in French singing as well as several international opera artists in title roles, testifies to the richness of French-language opera, and leads us to wonder if this is indeed a ‘new golden age’. Thanks to the insight of the performing artists and vocal coaches of these operas, the discussion examines the various aspects of singing in French: Is there such a thing as ‘French school of singing’ today? Is there a particular pleasure you feel when you sing in this language? In an international artistic context, how do you work a language that is not your own? How are you trained? What difficulties do you encounter?

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Véronique Gens (Clytemnestre - Iphigénie en Aulide), Huw Montague Rendall (Pelléas - Pelléas et Mélisande), Laurent Naouri (Golaud - Pelléas et Mélisande), Lucile Richardot (Geneviève - Pelléas et Mélisande) and Mathieu Pordoy (vocal and language coach - Pelléas et Mélisande).
MODERATOR: TIMOTHÉE PICARD

— SATURDAY 20 JULY AT NOON, ÉCOLE SAINTE-CATHERINE
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORCHESTRE DES JEUNES DE LA MÉDITERRANÉE

Young talented instrumentalists from all over the Mediterranean basin come together every year to build an ambitious concert programme and discover new ways to create as a group. At the heart of the symphonic sessions developed by the Festival d'Aix is its famous ‘collective composition’: exploring the conventional contours of the concert form, it celebrates the diversity of a composite Mediterranean identity, and is enriched by the meeting of young musicians from different musical cultures. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beginning of this adventure, the Festival d'Aix is uniting several generations of artists who have passed through the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée: their discussion will shed light on the history of this unique project, its core values, and the reason why it is so necessary in the crisis-stricken geopolitical context of today.

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Evan Rogister (conductor - OJM concert, 20 July 2024), David Jackson (mentor - London Symphony Orchestra), Pauline Chaigne (OJM and Mediterranean programme deputy director), Anaëlle Couette (cellist - OJM), Sarra Douik (singer and oudist - OJM) and Hacene Zemrani (saxophonist - OJM).
MODERATOR: AURORE FLAMION