Bohuslav Martinů's Greek Passion in Bordeaux

As part of the fourth annual Pulsations festival in France, Martinů's masterpiece, The Greek Passion (2nd version, “Zurich”), will be performed on several dates.

"What if the story of a small Greek village became a mirror of our own societies? In Bohuslav Martinů's (1890–1959) The Greek Passion, what begins as a simple reconstruction of Christ's passion turns into a moving human drama. The arrival of strangers in this seemingly peaceful village reveals its deep contradictions: the clash between acceptance and rejection, between fear of others and the possibility of coexistence.

Inspired by Nikos Kazantzakis' novel, the work explores universal themes such as fear of strangers and crowd manipulation. When refugees, expelled from their country, ask for asylum, the inhabitants find themselves faced with a dilemma. The values they professed—charity, compassion, brotherhood—are shaken by fear and personal interests. Mistrust reigns and rumors spread until the irreparable happens.

But The Greek Passion is not just a drama. It is a vibrant and deeply human work in which some characters dare to look beyond appearances and discover that behind their differences lie common desires: home, country, future. Thanks to the direction of Juana Inés Cano Restrepo, this production reveals all the modernity and power of this opera in the unprecedented stage space of Halle 47."

More information: opera-bordeaux.com
Dates: June 24, 26, 28, and 29 at 8:30 p.m.

Cast
Julien Henric, tenor – Manolios, shepherd
Mélissa Petit, soprano – Katerina, young widow
Matthieu Lécroart, bass-baritone — Grigoris, priest of Lycovrissi
Thomas Dolié, bass-baritone — Fotis, priest of the refugees
Marc Mauillon, baritone — Yannakos, peddler
Camille Chopin, soprano — Lenio, fiancée
Manolia Antonin Rondepierre, tenor — Panaït, Katerina's lover
Alain Buet, bass — Old man, refugee
Carl Ghazarossian, tenor — Nikolios, young shepherd
Etienne Bazola, baritone — Kostandis, café owner
François-Olivier Jean, tenor — Michelis, son of the patriarch
Etienne Duhil de Bénazé, tenor — Andonis, hairdresser
Madeleine Bazola, mezzo-soprano — Despinio, refugee

Chorus of villagers and chorus of refugees
Pygmalion, chorus and orchestra
Jeune Académie Vocale d’Aquitaine (J.A.V.A) — conductor Marie Chavanel
Amateur singers from the Voyageur choir, the Arpège vocal group, the Cantabile choir, and the Easy Singers choir

Raphaël Pichon, musical director
Juana Inés Cano Restrepo, director and set designer

Adrian Stapf, costumes
Martin Schwarz, lighting
Marie Steiner, dramaturgy, assistant director
Clara Baget, assistant conductor and amateur training