New York Philharmonic – Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake. Alan Gilbert, conductor. June 11, 2015.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.  Orchestra (Seat R113, $64.50).

Program

Jeanne d’Arc au bucher (1935, prologue 1944) by Arthur Honegger (1892-1955).

Come de Bellescize, director.

Cast.  Joan – Marion Cotillard, Brother Dominuqe – Eric Genovese, Narrator and other roles – Christian Gonon; Erin Morley, Simone Osborne, Faith Sherman, Thomas Blondelle, Steven Humes, Charlotte Knutsen, Dashel Grossman, Thijs Beuming.

New York Choral Artists, Joseph Flummerfelt, director

Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Dianne Berkun-Menaker, director

Pierre Vallet, chorus master

Story.  Joan of Arc is handed over to the English after being captured by the Burgundians in battle.  She is tried and convicted as a heretic and is burnt at the stake in Rouen.  Facing her execution, Joan thinks back through her life with the help of a book brought in by Brother Dominique.  The flames rise to consume her as her book is closed.  The work is divided into a Prologue and eleven scenes: The Voices of Heaven, The Book, The Voices of Earth, Joan Given Up to the Beasts, Joan at the Stake, The Kings (or The Invention of the Game of Cards), Catherine and Marguerite, The King Sets Out for Rheims, THe Sword of Joan, Trimazo, and The Burning of Joan of Arc.

While we were in France last week we visited Chinon, Loire.  In town there stands a bronze statue of Joan of Arc in armor riding on a horse, and there are various institutions (such as a clinic) called J d’Arc in the area.  A peasant girl who was illiterate, she led France in many successful battles against the English in the 15th Century, but was eventually captured and burned at the stake, at the age of 19.

In front of the Jeanne d'Arc Statue in Chinon, France.

Tonight’s event is not easily categorized.  A staged opera is probably the closest descriptive term.  There is a set alright, but it consists of only one item: the stake.  The rest of the set is basically a walkway around the stage.  The cast and the singers have costumes, of an indeterminate period.  The NY Choral Artists (women only) are in white robes – angels?  The Youth Chorus members are dressed as peasants.  The Program Notes describes Marion Cotillard as a famous French actress who won an Oscar, so I said to Anne, “and she evidently could also sing.”  Turns out the three main characters (Joan, Brother Dominique, and the Narrator) didn’t sing at all.  The only exception was Joan singing a simple children’s song towards the end.  In that regard one can be excused as calling this a play.  With the help of overhead subtitles, I could readily follow the drama of the dialog (written by Paul Claudel, in a few days per the Playbill.)

Before the performance began, members of the orchestra, all dressed in black, seated themselves in the made up pit, which consists of the first rows of the auditorium surrounded by the aforementioned “stage.”  As a result, our Row R seats were actually about 10 rows from the stage.  What was unexpected was that Gilbert was already seated in the front, he simply stood up to get things going.

Turns out we had heard Honegger before; once, performed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.  Looking back over my blog, I wasn’t particularly impressed with him then.  With a story, and writing for a much larger ensemble, I found his music in turn dramatic, irreverent, and poignant.  The Playbill talks about how imaginative his orchestration is, such as the use of animals to portray the kangaroo court that convicts Joan.  This was also the first time I came across the instrument “ondes martinot.”

The orchestra put in a delightful performance, either on their own or in support the action on stage as well as the vocalists.  The singers did very well also.  In any case, Gilbert seemed to be enjoying himself tremendously.  The performance was well appreciated, if the applause at curtain call was any indication.

Curtain call after the performance.

The logistics required to put this together must be quite daunting, and all participants must be congratulated for pulling it off, with flying colors.  The sound system has to turned on for the dialog, I can imagine the sound control folks having a busy time.  In the Playbill we read that rehearsals were at the New 42^nd Street Studios.

The entire program was slightly over an hour.  We managed to get home a few minutes after 10 pm.

The New YorkTimes reviewer didn’t spare any word in praising the concert.  He even went so far as to ask the question “Will Mr. Gilber’ts successor bring such a clear artistic and intellectual mission to the Philharmonic?”  Well, if he had spoken up more often perhaps things would be different?  The review was beautifully written, but I do take some issue with the title “In ‘Joan of Arc at the Stake,’ Beasts With Burden of Judging.”