The Salzburg Festival in Austria is currently featuring Olivier Messiaen’s opera, Saint François d’Assise, with a unique production that includes live animals and bread baking on stage. The opera, which premiered in 1983, depicts the spiritual journey of St. Francis and features a complex score with multiple percussion sections and electronic instruments.
Production Details
The production, directed by Romeo Castellucci, features a cast of over 200 people, including 120 musicians and a chorus of 90. The opera also includes live animals, such as a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, a female peacock, and seven sheep, which roam the stage during the performance. In addition, two large ovens are brought on stage to bake 33 sourdough loaves, symbolizing the Franciscan tradition of bread for the poor.
Canadian bass-baritone Philippe Sly stars in the title role, which he prepared for by moving into a Capuchin monastery and participating in morning prayers and other monastic activities. Sly’s performance is described as quivering and self-mutilating, as he gets smothered with dirt and blood during the opera.
Conductor and Cast
Conductor Maxime Pascal leads the orchestra, which includes a second conductor in the pit who signals percussion beats with a baton capped by a white light. The cast also includes soprano Lauranne Oliva, tenor Sean Panikkar, and baritone Russell Braun, among others.
The opera is a complex and challenging work, with a score that features over 2,500 pages of music. Despite the challenges, the production has received positive reviews, with many praising the unique and innovative staging.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
