Le Balcon
composer: Peter Eötvös
librettist: Peter Eötvös - André Markowicz - Francoise Morvan
author of original text: Jean Genet
Opéra en dix tableaux
Livret de Françoise Morvan avec la collaboration de Peter Eötvös et André Markowicz
d’après "Le Balcon" de Jean Genet (© Éditions Gallimard)
Premiere: July 5, 2002 Aix-en-Provence, Théâtre de l\'Archevêché (F) Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2002 · Conductor: Peter Eötvös · Ensemble Intercontemporain · Costumes: Raoul Fernandez · Stage design: Emmanuel Clolus · Organizer: Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2002 (scenic performance)
Orchestra instrumentation: 1 (auch Picc. u. Altfl.) · 1 (auch Engl. Hr.) · 1 (auch Es-Klar.) · Bassklar. · Sopransax. (auch Altsax. u. Baritonsax.) · 1 - 1 · 2 · 1 · 1 - S. (I: Trgl. · Röhrengl. · Schellen · Beckenpaar · Tamt. · Guiro · Glsp. · Xyl. · Vibr. · Marimba · Schellentr. · Kast. · Cabaza · Waschbrett · Holzbl.; II: Crot. · Drum Set · Bell-Tree · Nietenbeck. · Gong · Kuhgl. · 3 Bong. · 2 Kokosnüsse auf Holzbrett · Metal Chimes · Kassenklingel · Schellen · Guiro · Trgl. · Kast. · Glsp. · Tamt.) (2 Spieler) - Hfe. · Hammondorg. · Keyb.-Sampler* - Str. (1 · 0 · 1 · 1 · 1 oder 5 · 0 · 4 · 3 · 2) - 8-Spur-Diskette oder Stereo-CD - Geräusch-Sampler (wird von Schlagzeug 2 ausgeführt/keyboard-control oder Bongos) - Instrumentalsolisten auf der Bühne (werden aus dem Ensemble besetzt): Kb.-Klar. - Hr. · Tr. - Vl. (Strohviol-Trichtergeige)
*Keyboard: for the sound CD and for technical instructions please contact the Peter Eotvos Composition Studio on www.eotvospeter.com
Cast of characters: Irma / La Reine · Alt - Carmen · lyrischer Sopran -
La femme (die Frau) / La voleuse (die Diebin) / La fille (das Mädchen) /
Chantal · Mezzosopran, mit guter Höhe bis ins Sopranregister - Chef de la
police (Polizeichef) · Bassbariton - L'évêque (der Bischof) · (Charakter-) Bass - Le juge (der Richter) · (Comique-) Tenor - Le général
(der General) · lyrischer Bariton - Roger · Bariton - Arthur / Le bourreau (der Henker) · Bass (kräftig und tief) - L'envoyé (der Gesandte) · (Barock-) Bariton -
Sprechrollen: 3 Revolutionäre / 3 Fotografen / Sklave · 3 Schauspieler
Publisher: Schott Music
Duration: 120' 0''
Year of composition: 2002/2004/rev. 2009
Edition: full score
Language: French
Material on hire
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Description
For his second opera 'Le Balcon' Peter Eötvös searched for a text in which the action on the stage was to ’explode’. He finally found it in Jean Genet’s play of the same name: ’With Genet, one can take it literally; a revolution rages in the streets, the Palais Royal is blown up, while the customers in the specially equipped salons of the brothel "Le Balcon" are dressed with the properties and costumes of major social positions: They want to become a bishop, judge, general, even if for only half an hour. The girls help them, and Madame collects the money for this dubious pleasure. The piece is a wonderful, constantly sparkling role play, a theatre within the theatre.’ (Peter Eötvös, in: 2003 programme of the Theatre Freiburg)
Peter Eötvös insistently emphasizes the close connection between language and music which is absolutely necessary for a performance in French (with overtitles). The numerous subtleties of Genet’s language are preserved that way and are more or less translated into music by Eötvös: ’My music sometimes "is also dressed" with "French-style manners", but most important to me was to let the marvellously frivolous, poetic language of Genet remain understandable. I therefore used many grotesque, comedy-like cabaret-music elements, and sometimes my music is close to the French chanson, with Fréhel, Jacques Brel, Yves Montand, Leo Ferré being my models.’ (Peter Eötvös, ibid.)
Recordings
Snatches (2004)
Peter Eötvös- Snatches of a Conversation
- Jet Stream
- Paris - Dakar
- Improvisationen über Themen aus "Le Balcon"
- + Improvisations on Themes from "Le Balcon"
Marco Blaauw (double-bell trumpet) · Omar Ebrahim (speaker) · musikFabrik · Markus Stockhausen (trumpet) · BBC Symphony Orchestra · Peter Eötvös (conductor) · László Gőz (double-bell trombone with harmonizer) · Budapest Jazz Orchestra · Gergely Vajda (conductor)
BMC
CD 097
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