Honegger: Jeanne d’Arc
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Thomas Hengelbrock
The dramatic oratorio »Joan of Arc at the Stake« by Arthur Honegger premiered in 1938, just before the outbreak of the Second World War. It depicts a world in chaos. Poet and librettist Paul Claudel tells the story of the life and death of the French national heroine, Jeanne d’Arc. She is fighting for her beliefs in a corrupt world where the powerful decide the fate of nations in a game of cards.
Honegger’s music mirrors this chaotic world by combining various genres: oratorio, opera, and mystery play. Stylistically, he fuses highly diverse elements, ranging from Gregorian chant to jazz. The role of Joan of Arc will be performed at the Elbphilharmonie by actress Johanna Wokalek.
Performers
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
NDR Vokalensemble
WDR Rundfunkchor
Knabenchor Dortmund choir
Johanna Wokalek Sprecherin
Dominique Horwitz Sprecher
Katharina Konradi soprano
Maria Bengtsson soprano
Gerhild Romberger alto
John Daszak tenor
Dimitry Ivashchenko bass
Björn Meyer narrator
Brigitte Janner narrator
Benjamin Utzerath narrator
Erik Schäffler narrator
Felix Knopp narrator
conductor Thomas Hengelbrock
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