You need to accept cookies to get access to the professional section
When I decided to stage King Arthur with Le Concert Spirituel, a choice had to be made: the musical part of the work only represents a third of the original piece. I preferred to keep just Purcell's music and to perform the work, given the vitality of the accom- panying texts, in the form of a divertissement. Who better than Corinne and Gilles Benizio to assume the perilous role of stage directors (or masters of the whimsical, if you prefer) of this cock-and-bull opera? They both embody that French talent for timing and improvisation inherited from generations of cabaret artists. Given Corinne and Gilles's abundance of jovial affection and passion for the musicians' work, I have no doubt that audiences will at last understand that Purcell's singers are close relations to the Monty Python team. Hervé Niquet
Semi Opera in five acts (1691) Libretto by John Dryden Chorus and orchestra from the Concert Spirituel Ensemble
Ana Maria Labin(Dessus), Chantal Santon-Jeffery(Dessus), Mélodie Ruvio(Bas-dessus), Mathias Vidal(Haute-contre), Marc Mauillon(Taille), Joäo Fernandes(Basse)
Musical Direction : Hervé Niquet, Staging : Corinne & Gilles Benizio (alias Shirley & Dino), Costume designer : Catherine Rigault, Lighting designer : Jacques Rouveyrollis
French
Production compagny : Telmondis
Coproduction compagny : Le Concert Spirituel, France TV, Calicot Productions, with the support of the Region Languedoc Roussillon and the Centre Nationa
Running Time : 1x110’
Production Year : 2009
Distribution compagny : Telmondis distribution
Video Format : HD CAM, Digibeta 16/9 , 4/3 Letterbox