Honegger: Jeanne d’Arc with Marion Cotillard

She is the national heroine of France and one of the most famous women in history: Joan of Arc, also known as the »Maid of Orléans«. Guided by divine inspiration, she was called upon to lead the fight against the English in the 15th century; in the end, she was burned at the stake. This is exactly where the dramatic oratorio »Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher« by Swiss composer Arthur Honegger comes in, with Jeanne reviewing her life in flashbacks just before her death. Honegger dresses the partly historical, partly fictional scenes in opulent sounds that resemble film music at times, borrowing inspiration from many genres including Baroque and jazz. With the French Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (»La vie en rose«), a real Hollywood star slips into the spoken role of Joan of Arc at the Elbphilharmonie. She will be accompanied by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony under the baton of Frenchman Alain Altinoglu, who has been at the orchestra’s helm since 2021.

A summary from original text in German | Read the original

Keywords: Vocal Music