Composer: Arthur Honegger
Performer: Christine Goerke
Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Conductor: Stéphane Denève
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: RCO Live
Size: 1.3 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Honegger: Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher, H. 99
01. I. Prologue
02. II. Les Voix du Ciel
03. III. Le Livre
04. IV. Les Voix de la Terre
05. V. Jeanne livrée aux bêtes
06. VI. Jeanne au poteau
07. VII. Les Rois ou L’invention du jeu de cartes
08. VIII. Catherine et Marguerite
09. IX. Le Roi qui va-t-à-Rheims
10. X. L’Épée de Jeanne
11. XI. Trimazô
12. XII. Jeanne d’Arc en flammes
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,
Wiecher Mandemaker,
Rotterdam Symphony Chorus,
Wilma ten Wolde,
Netherlands Children’s Choir
Stéphane Denève
Steven Humes (bass),
Judith Chemla (actor),
Jean-Noël Briend (tenor),
Christian Gonon (actor),
Judit Kutasi (mezzo-soprano),
Christine Goerke (soprano),
Claire de Sévigné (soprano),
Jean-Claude Drouot (actor),
Adrien Gamba-Gontard (actor)
Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher is one of the most inventive oratorios ever composed, constantly flitting between styles and colours. It follows the historic French heroine in the hours leading up to her execution. Indeed, the run-up to her death sentence is reconstructed as if in a crime novel. Paul Claudel’s lively libretto contrasts Jeanne with an assorted lot of strange and wonderful characters. More than enough reason for Honegger to open up a colourful paintbox: the work features a succession of choral passages infused with spirituality, cubist-like blocks of sound and even bits of material reminiscent of the music hall. This is grist to conductor Stéphane Denève’s mill, who is a leading authority on French music and a regular guest with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; together with two choirs and a variety of soloists and actors, he realized a compelling and moving Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher.