A berry rolled to a berry,
A berry bowed to a berry.
A berry is red.
The strawberry is ripe, ripe.
A berry bowed to a berry,
A berry said a word to a berry,
A berry grew not far from another berry,
One berry is Khvetis, sir,
And the other berry is Nastasyushka, dear.
Fragment of the Les Noces texte
More LessEverybody has come together in restaurant Andronov to celebrate the wedding of Nastasia and Fetis. No love nor fresh marriage bliss at Chekhov’s wedding party: the herring and the bread are sour, the lighting is bad, the bride doesn’t speak all evening and the general we’re all waiting for is late. Just as the feast is about to get out of control, somebody calls for music. Exit Chekhov, enter Stravinsky with Les Noces, a marriage ritual that turns the group of actors, singers, musicians and spectators into one big family.
concept & direction | Judith Vindevogel |
production | WALPURGIS |
coproduction | de Roovers i.c.w. Het SPECTRA Ensemble created in 2005 with the support of de Zomer van Antwerpen, In Situ and Europe Culture 2000 |
with the support of | The province of Antwerp |
executive producer & distribution | WALPURGIS |
music | Igor Stravinsky |
text | adaptation Svadba (Checkhov): De Roovers translation & adaptation Svadebka (several fragments from folkloric Russian marriage rituals): Judith Vindevogel in collaboration with Ioulia Timofeeva & Genadijus Bergorulko |
musical direction | Filip Rathé |
scenography | Stef Depover, with assistance of Bert Vermeulen |
photographer | Stef Stessel |
culinary creation | Peter De Bie |
cook | Vincent Goedemé |
costumes | Ilse Vandenbussche, with the assistance of Claudine Grinwis Plaat Stultjes |
software image processing | Guy Van den Bril |
actors | Bert André, Warre Borgmans, Robby Cleiren, Sara de Bosschere, Leen Diependale, Bert Haelvoet, Frederik Huys, Luc Nuyens, Thomas Ryckewaert, Floris Schillebeeckx, Eva Schram, Sofie Sente, Charlotte Vandermeersch |
soprano's | Sylvie Merck, Ana Naqé, Thaïs Scholiers, Françoise Vanhecke, Tineke Van Ingelgem, Bianca Van Puyvelde, Petra Van Tendeloo |
mezzo soprano's | Annique Burms, Eurudike De Beul, Helena De Beul, Madiha Figuigui, Jeannine Hirzel, Marieke Koster |
tenors | Nicolas Bauchau, Joris Bosman, Lorenzo Carola, Artem Korotkov, Dick Vandaele, Steven Van Gils |
basses/baritones | Conor Biggs, Genadijus Bergorulko, Mikhail Lukonin, Thomas Vanlede, Wilfried Van den Brande, Charles Van Tassel |
pianists | Johan Bossers, Fabian Coomans, Frederik Croene, Thomas Dieltjens, Leonard Duna, Alain Franco, Adriaan Jacobs, Nikolaas Kende, Christel Kessels, Elisa Medinilla, Bart Meynckens, Yutaka Oya, Ludovic Van Hellemont, Luc Van Loo |
percussionists | Marcel Andriessen, Ruben Cooman, Bjorn Denys, Gert Dhaese, Dimitri Dumon, Wouter De Winne, Wim Konink, Gaetan Lamela, Hannes Nieuwlaet, Tom Pipeleers, Christiaan Saris, Stijn Schoofs, Frank Van Eycken |
workshop supervisors | Inaki Azpillaga, Dirk Opstaele, Christel Kessels, Angélique Wilkie, Phil Kaiser, Béatrice Godenir |
Judith Vindevogel
WALPURGIS
de Roovers i.c.w. Het SPECTRA Ensemble created in 2005 with the support of de Zomer van Antwerpen, In Situ and Europe Culture 2000
The province of Antwerp
WALPURGIS
Igor Stravinsky
adaptation Svadba (Checkhov): De Roovers translation & adaptation Svadebka (several fragments from folkloric Russian marriage rituals): Judith Vindevogel in collaboration with Ioulia Timofeeva & Genadijus Bergorulko
Filip Rathé
Stef Depover, with assistance of Bert Vermeulen
Stef Stessel
Peter De Bie
Vincent Goedemé
Ilse Vandenbussche, with the assistance of Claudine Grinwis Plaat Stultjes
Guy Van den Bril
Bert André, Warre Borgmans, Robby Cleiren, Sara de Bosschere, Leen Diependale, Bert Haelvoet, Frederik Huys, Luc Nuyens, Thomas Ryckewaert, Floris Schillebeeckx, Eva Schram, Sofie Sente, Charlotte Vandermeersch
Sylvie Merck, Ana Naqé, Thaïs Scholiers, Françoise Vanhecke, Tineke Van Ingelgem, Bianca Van Puyvelde, Petra Van Tendeloo
Annique Burms, Eurudike De Beul, Helena De Beul, Madiha Figuigui, Jeannine Hirzel, Marieke Koster
Nicolas Bauchau, Joris Bosman, Lorenzo Carola, Artem Korotkov, Dick Vandaele, Steven Van Gils
Conor Biggs, Genadijus Bergorulko, Mikhail Lukonin, Thomas Vanlede, Wilfried Van den Brande, Charles Van Tassel
Johan Bossers, Fabian Coomans, Frederik Croene, Thomas Dieltjens, Leonard Duna, Alain Franco, Adriaan Jacobs, Nikolaas Kende, Christel Kessels, Elisa Medinilla, Bart Meynckens, Yutaka Oya, Ludovic Van Hellemont, Luc Van Loo
Marcel Andriessen, Ruben Cooman, Bjorn Denys, Gert Dhaese, Dimitri Dumon, Wouter De Winne, Wim Konink, Gaetan Lamela, Hannes Nieuwlaet, Tom Pipeleers, Christiaan Saris, Stijn Schoofs, Frank Van Eycken
Inaki Azpillaga, Dirk Opstaele, Christel Kessels, Angélique Wilkie, Phil Kaiser, Béatrice Godenir
Reviews
The most miraculous about this coup de théâtre is that the rhythm of the production is accurately steady, and even speeds up a little towards the end. As a result that is not without merit, an audience that is not quite familiar with Stravinsky, as you may expect it to be at a festival like Zomer van Antwerpen, is also irresistably drawn into the performance.
A strong concept, a show with a tight rhythm, good actors, singers and musicians are the strength of this production.
Stephan Moens, De Morgen
Theatre, music, singing, sketches, photography, food and drinks turn de noces into something excessive. As if the companies that usually draw meticulously with a black pencil have now discovered the box with paint colours.
Ilse Dewever, Gazet Van Antwerpen
With Les Noces, Igor Stravinsky composed a delicious piece of primitive music for four piano’s, elaborate percussions and sixteen singing voices. (…) Judith Vindevogel of music theatre WALPURGIS has wanted to perform this piece of music for a long time, and now does so in combination with The Wedding by Checkhov.
In regard to acting and atmosphere, those two very different pieces form a beautiful unity, one big wedding party plaited around that large wedding table in a very nicely decorated location.
Eddie Vaes, Zone 03/
Judith Vindevogel, who thought of this idea, wanted to perform this score (Les Noces by Stravinsky), which, though it was inspired by Russian folk songs, is usually enjoyed only by connoisseurs of classical music, for an audience as broad as possible.
Vindevogel entirely succeeds in her intention. A varied public can get to know this often as elitary regarded music in a very digestable way, during a pleasant evening out.
Saskia Vereenooghe, De Tijd