Venus & Adonis
17 October/20h00 France / Brest
Venus and Adonis, subtitled A Masque for the entertainment of the King, is now regarded as the first English opera. Unlike the earlier form of the masque, which incorporates music into a spoken play, all the words in this work are sung. Its composer, John Blow, organist at Westminster Abbey, was one of the most highly regarded musicians in England during the reigns of Charles II and James II. He was notably the teacher of the young Henry Purcell, who took Venus and Adonisas a model for his famous opera Dido and Aeneas — the parallels are striking.
The action, very compact, takes us in a short space of time from a pastoral world to tragedy. It is framed by instrumental music following the model of Lully: a French-style overture, followed by entrances and dances. The work is a true opera in miniature, full of charm.
“Drawn concerts are a way of telling a story differently on stage. They require no sets or props, but offer a pictorial interpretation of the work being performed.”
The challenge is ambitious: to align ourselves together in order to create a musical and illustrative union. To achieve this, I must follow—for my part—a sort of drawn choreography, where every line and every gesture is meticulously executed in parallel with the story.
“Drawn concerts are a way of telling a story differently on stage. They require no sets or props, but offer a pictorial interpretation of the work being performed.”
The challenge is ambitious: to align ourselves together in order to create a musical and illustrative union. To achieve this, I must follow—for my part—a sort of drawn choreography, where every line and every gesture is meticulously executed in parallel with the story.
From my perspective as a painter and children’s illustrator, the link between image and narrative is very natural. It allows, in my view, for an amplification: I deploy the drawing in forms that are sometimes symbolic, sometimes figurative, like paintings brimming with colour and poetry. My pencil strokes, though digital, move as if on a canvas, gradually, sometimes revealing elements drawn beforehand, but are mainly constructed live before the audience’s eyes.”
Emma Bertin
Duration – 1 hour 30 minutes
L'action, très compacte, nous fait passer en peu de temps d'un monde pastoral à la tragédie. Elle est encadrée d'une musique instrumentale qui suit le modèle de Lully : une ouverture à la française, puis des entrées et des danses. L'œuvre est un vrai opéra en miniature, plein de charme.
« Les concerts dessinés sont des moyens de raconter une histoire autrement sur scène. Ils ne nécessitent pas de décors ou d'accessoires, mais proposent une déclinaison picturale de l'œuvre jouée.
Le défi est ambitieux : s'aligner ensemble afin de créer une union musicale et illustrative. Pour cela, il faut suivre — pour ma part — une sorte de chorégraphie dessinée, où chaque trait et chaque geste est méticuleusement lancé parallèlement à l'histoire.
De mon point de vue de peintre et d'illustratrice jeunesse, le lien entre image et récit est très naturel. Il permet, selon moi, une amplification : je déploie le dessin sous des formes tantôt symboliques, tantôt figuratives, comme des peintures gorgées de couleurs et de poésie. Mon coup de crayon, bien que numérique, s'agite comme sur une toile, progressivement, faisant parfois apparaître des éléments dessinés au préalable, mais se construit principalement en direct sous le regard du public. »
Emma Bertin
Durée - 1h30
