Philharmonie: the not entirely successful bet of the “augmented concert”

The classical world has been tearing its hair out for a while over how to evolve the very codified ritual of the concert. Since taking charge of the Philharmonie de Paris, Olivier Mantei has explored different avenues to integrate other artistic expressions, in search of the “augmented concert”. Whatever the idea, one thing is certain: the means must be put into it, both in terms of artistic vision and technical equipment. This week, it is to filmmaker Bertrand Bonello that we owe an endearing and unique show, designed around Arnold Schönberg: Transfigured. 12 Lives of Schoenberg.

In one hour and fifty without intermission, the Orchester de Paris and its Choir, conducted by Ariane Matiakh, as well as the pianist David Kadouch and the soprano Sarah Aristidou, are at the center of a scenography bringing together video, iconographic projections, sound effects and games of actors. Expertly chosen extracts from key works by the man who took a new turn in the history of music follow a well-thought-out dramaturgical thread, from solo piano to large orchestra via chamber format.

Post-Romantic period, break with tonality, invention of dodecaphonism, return to consonance are woven according to a chronological thread. At the same time, we encounter an uncompromising human journey, where progressism and conservatism coexist until the return to the Jewish faith that was once abjured. The fluidity of the transitions reminds us that Bertrand Bonello is a musician, and that it was as a musician that he conceived the evening.

Of course, as whenever other arts are called upon for reinforcement, certain aspects leave one cautious. First, the multiplication of levels, sometimes up to four: musicians' performances, projected quotes, film, actors' developments, to the point of no longer knowing what to focus attention on.

Then, the eternal question of the contribution of the image to the music, depending on whether it comes as an illustration, as a complement or as a counterpoint. Transfigured Night or Pelléas and Mélisande are so expressive that two lovers filmed in a forest quickly become anecdotal. And the panels evoking Nazi persecution have a flat side compared to what the composer expressed in his striking music.

On the other hand, the use of painting, in particular Schönberg's self-portraits, plunges into the abysses of a mind which grasped with prophetic force the tragic dimension of its century. Someone who has always been misunderstood, considering him cerebral when he was lyrical, passing him off as revolutionary when he saw himself as the heir of Bach. It is this richness that the master builders were able to convey, thanks to the inhabited piano of David Kadouch and the unifying gesture of Ariane Matiakh, at the head of a generous and supple Paris Orchestra, while the Peace on Earth chorus resonates more than ever in our ears. When we leave, we want to listen to all of Schönberg again: from this point of view it’s a win!