Roots „Bérénice“ in Paris | EUROtoday

What do administrators have with Racine’s “Bérénice”? Last 12 months Romeo Castellucci had deleted all roles in a a lot -discussed manufacturing. He let their textual content – in a row – say by Isabelle Huppert, every half sentence, every exclamation. As a efficiency, fascination preferred, as a staging it was abstruse. If you do not know the unique piece very properly, you typically did not know the place one scene ended and the place the subsequent started, who Bérénice spoke to – and what it was all about. Production solely needed to do with Racine’s tragedy: Huppert may have recited the Bible with the same impact, the cellphone ebook or “The Art of the Deal”.

Guy Cassiers now phases the five-act at Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, the center stage of the Comédie-Française. And distributes 4 out of six speech roles on two actors (simply not counted with 5 verses entrusted with 5 verses). The beginning state of affairs right here for a greater understanding: In historical Rome, two mighty folks ship themselves to a dialog with Bérénice. Titus, the brand new Caesar, has had an unexploded love relationship with the Middle Eastern Queen for years. But wherever that is anticipating an utility, the newly wage imperator desires to separate from her without end. Because he had a form of enlightenment slightly earlier than: Rome’s legal guidelines prohibited the wedding of a non -riot, particularly a stranger who bears the royal crown hated to the Romans. In order to be worthy of his workplace and his ancestors, he has to go away from the beloved one.

In his half, Antiochus, who, because the ruler of a neighboring state, as soon as stopped in useless for Bérénice’s hand and has since grow to be a assured of the forbidden relationship, the queen desires to confess that he nonetheless loves her. How will Bérénice react to each explanations?

In Suliane Brahim’s interpretation, she does it with noble outrage or struggling Arios. In luck, this queen is gently smiling and melodic, as if inside sound sounds weighed her speech. In misfortune, she complains elegantly or offended con fuoco, however all the time certain, not certain, useful, not dissonant. This corresponds to the steamed temper of the piece, which, it might be a rating that was a predetermined presentation title “Mezza Voce”. And writes in a efficiency custom that, particularly on the Comédie-Française, the refined craft prefers the applause of the applause-Racine is a sacred cow in France that desires of many rule people.

But of better curiosity, as a result of much less anticipated, Cassier’s drawing of the 2 male principal protagonists and the a part of the minor determine is. Jérémy Lopez embodies each Titus and Antiochus on this staging: a efficiency that impresses reminiscence work alone due to the reminiscence. He provides the previous with a tenor voice that threatens to overturn with nervousness, and a rushed gestures that lack the sovereign of the traditional Roman sovereign. The latter provides the latter a baritone organ that rests extra, but additionally disillusioned a hint, the place it doesn’t even sound depressed. In the scenes, the place the 2 meet, one stays one as a silhouette within the background, which speaks to the corresponding voice – which is strengthened by the band -; In the tip, emperor and king merge right into a determine.

In his half, Alexandre Pavloff performs each Titus ‘Confident Paulin and Antiochus’ Folgsmann Arsace. The latter is a pedigree canine from the Orient, good, sure mockingly and, because it had been, all the time in a non secular place. The former evokes a courtuna or Machiavellist pastor, whom a profitable profession has made irritable, certainly offended. His sugar -nasal voice rapidly turns into shrill, his tender gestures can flip into violent: This is how he turns Titus’ head away with each palms away from Bérénice. Born ghosts who don’t scent abuse all over the place, solely in their very own group, would say that Paulin grants the Kaisershn. One wish to know what’s going on in him when he patties Titus or adopted each emancipation of his hardly emancipated ward behind half -closed lids.

It is just not widespread in traditional dramas that confidants of the primary characters acquire their very own life. As quickly as you ever marvel what your motifs and emotions could also be. In this staging, Arsace appears to drive the priority for his privileged place within the capital of the Roman Empire, whereas the extra intimate motives for Paulin’s coronary heart (erratic) are (erratic). Even Bérénices Folgsfrau Phénice, offered by Clotilde de Bayser with hawk -eyed depth, positive factors an unusually current profile right here.

This is how Cassiers succeeds in what Castellucci failed: to current an precise studying of the textual content. This is just not constantly stringent, however typically stimulating. And the medieval museum abstracted stage design, the doppelganger costumes in nuances of beige, brown and rust pink in addition to the noticed soundtrack between close to and Far Eastern plucked devices, between digital crystal bells, steel sounds and machine vibrations kind a poetic and unadorned shrine for the unspeaked, unequal fantastic thing about racine language.