STABAT MATER
In 1703 a devastating earthquake struck Italy. Pope Clement XI viewed it as a sign of divine providence and ordered the closure of all theatres for five years. A few years later Domenico Scarlatti settled in Rome. Son of the illustrious opera composer, Domenico had long lived in the shadow of his father before gaining renown himself as the author of 555 sonatas. It is likely that he composed this Stabat Mater in response to a Vatican commission for the Sistine Chapel.
Maëlle Dequiedt and Simon-Pierre Bestion see this musical work as an attempt to overcome grief through the expression of desire. The painting of the mother facing the cross becomes the point of departure for a intoxicating adventure. The director reveals the work’s forbidden theatricality by peeling back the layers that time has forged. Bringing together an ephemeral community of four actors and ten musicians, Stabat Mater juxtaposes musical refinement with scenic power. A new cast brings Scarlatti’s score to life in Simon-Pierre Bestion’s adaptation, combining the timbres of the singers with instruments from a diverse range of origins and eras. The work acquires new hues, revealing its full dramatic scope and offering the audience a sensorial and emotive experience.
d’après Domenico Scarlatti
direction Maëlle Dequiedt
conductor Simon-Pierre Bestion
dramaturgy Simon Hatab
scenography Heidi Folliet
costume design Solène Fourt-Meiche
lighting design Auréliane Pazzaglia
choreography Olga Dukhovna
stage manager Jori Desq
sound design Mateo Esnault
assistant director Clara Chabalier
costume assistant Salomé Vandendriessche
with
Youssouf Abi-Ayad
Émilie Incerti Formentini
Frédéric Leidgens
Maud Pougeoise
and
Annabelle Bayet
Guy-Loup Boisneau
Jean-Christophe Brizard
Myriam Jarmache
Lia Naviliat-Cuncic
Matteo Pastorino
René Ramos-Premier
Hélène Richaud
Abel Rohrbach
Vivien Simon
Le Manège – Scène nationale de Maubeuge
28 September 2023
Opéra de Reims
6 October 2023
Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord
12-28 October 2023
Maison de la Culture Amiens
1 December 2023
Le Quartz – Scène nationale de Brest
5-6 April 2024
Opéra de Lille
12-13 April 2024
Scène nationale d’Orléans
17-18 April 2024
–
Opéra de Rouen Normandie
20-21 March 2025
Palais des Beaux-Arts Charleroi
29 March 2025
Théâtre de Caen
1 April 2025
La Cité Bleue Geneva
10-12 April 2025
production Centre International de Créations Théâtrales / Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Compagnie La Phenomena &
Compagnie vocale et instrumentale La Tempête, Antipol (Théâtre d’Orléans / Scène nationale, Le Manège Scène nationale de Maubeuge, Fondazione I Teatri Reggio, Les Halles de Schaerbeek) coproduction Opéra de Lille, Opéra de Reims, Le Quartz, Scène nationale et Congrès de Brest, MCA – Maison de la culture d’Amiens, Cercle des partenaires