Absent Suites is a Pierre Rigal’s variation and a mechanical piano playing on its own and independently a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach. This setup is a distinctive way of carrying a thought towards the pianist, and by extension to-wards the composer, who by definition do not take part in this event.
This absence becomes the imaginary and subjective base to a narration dedicated to music and its way of completely filling the life of men. This subjectivity also reveals little by little the secrets of this mysterious character, alone with a piano.

On stage, a grand piano greets the audience who takes a seat inside the theatre. A man comes out from the wings. For a few moments he faces the object who also seems to be looking at him. The man dressed in a black tailcoat suit, turns towards the audience and salutes. Then he walks towards the piano. He sits on the stool and concentrates for a few seconds. He lifts and suspends his arms, his hands are above the keyboard. But before his fingers hit their target, the piano starts to play by itself. The black and white keys sink on their own, the hammers hit the strings. The piano plays alone a suite by Johann-Sebastian Bach.

Pierre Rigal / 28th April 2017.

Conception, performance Pierre Rigal
On a Paul-Arnaud Péjouan initiative
Artistic collboration Mélanie Chartreux
Video and lighing Frédéric Stoll
Production Sophie Schneider assisted by Nathalie Vautrin

Photo-credit : Jean-Philippe Moulet

Merveille is a conference about a musical instrument that we all play on : the voice. Of course, the use and virtuosity depends on what kind of instrumentalist we might be, but each at our own scale we all take part in the giant orchestral symphony of discussions and human chants. And as the subject is a passionate one, this non-exhaustive conference gets caught in its own trap of contradictions and controverses. What is the use for the voice ? Here is a question that inevitably creates dis-cord. And this is how these speakers-singers-dancers-musicians who are incapable of speaking in one single and same voice, undermine the rules of the exercise and willingly dive into a polyphonic and burlesque shamble. Nonetheless, it is from that musical maelstrom, serious and comical at the same time, that vocal jewels and lyrical surprises suddenly arise. And as if enchanted, the magic of the voice puts our bodies into vibration and movement, figuratively and literally.

A Pierre Rigal show
Creation of this piece on the 12th dDecember 2018 in Opéra de Paris (Amphithéâtre Bastille)

Concept, choreography & staging Pierre Rigal with the participation of the artistic team
Performance Mélanie Chartreux, Gwenaël Drapeau, Julien Lepreux, Laure Poissonnier, Nicolas Simeha, Bora Wee
Original Music Gwenaël Drapeau & Julien Lepreux
Musical collaboration & arrangements Benjamin Laurent
Artistic collaboration Agathe Vidal
Light and video designing Frédéric Stoll
Sound, video George Dyson & Marc de Frutos
Production Sophie Schneider with Nathalie Vautrin