La Nique à Satan

La Nique à Satan
spectacle populaire pour soprano et baryton solos, choeur d’hommes, de femmes et d’enfants, instruments à vent, batterie, 2 pianos et contrebasse

‘A thumbed nose at Satan’ – A popular ‘spectacle’ for soprano and baritone, male, female and children’s choir, wind instruments, percussion, 2 pianos and double bass

Year of composition

1928-1932

Duration

180' | shortened version 75'

Scored for

soprano and baritone, male, female and children’s choir, wind instruments, percussion, 2 pianos, double bass
From which are available: 18 Songs for voice and piano (EHL 5.608.0) and individual songs: Chanson de Route; Chanson des Amochés; Chanson du travail; Chant de Joie; Marche du Cirque; Complainte des Vieux; La Nique à Satan (piano reduction); La Nique à Satan (livret) at Éditions Henry Labatiaz.

Publication information

Éditions Henry Labatiaz (EHL 5.608)

Text(s)

Albert Rudhardt (1894-1944)

Text file

  1. https://www.frankmartin.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1928-La-Nique-a-Satan-fr.pdf

Commentary

La Nique à Satan
When Albert Rudhardt wrote the scenario and the song texts for La Nique à Satan (To poke fun at Satan), he had in mind a popular show where children would play the main parts. In fact, they have the best of it, as the adults are rather illtreated. His first idea was a show almost entirely mimed, but interspersed from beginning to end with a large number of songs: songs for men, for women, but mostly songs for children.
 He coupled an explanatory text to the show, a sort of scenario meant to enlighten the audience, which related the verses of the songs in delightful prose. He put the best of his poetic and satirical verve into these pages which were not originally intended for the show itself.
 […] How to qualify the spirit of this piece? Is it a piece for children? In one sense, yes, without any doubt: it’s a tale to be told by a nanny; there are demons, a sorceress, and children who manage to overcome all difficulties with energy and courage. But for adults it is a sharp satire on the sort of men we know as: the ‘Fine Minds’, proud of their wealth and their fine speeches but incapable of taking decisions, the ‘Good Old Guys’, good workers, going straight to their goal, but quick to be discouraged and easily seduced by a few gold coins and the illusion of glory. Sorceress ‘Bergougne’ is always right about them.
 Is it a comedy? Certainly, for we laugh about the ‘Fine Minds’ whose statements are doubled by instruments: the bassoon for the chatterbox, the tuba for the stutterer, as the music mimics their ticks in fun, but also depicts with amusement a serious council of demons, and the euphoria of a little village fete, where the oompahs of merry-go-round and brass band intermingle. But it is also earnest, the demons are not made of cardboard, ‘Bergougne’ is not always a sorceress to be laughed at and the entire play is dominated by the presence of ‘Jean des Lunes’, player of the magic flute, artist and philosopher, who observes with humour, knows how to judge, but also knows when to take action to save the city from the demons, bravely helped by the children.
 It is particularly difficult to qualify La Nique à Satan in just one or two words. It has something of a saga, a fairy tale, but especially a spirit of comedy and satire.
 Basically, as Rudhart says in his prologue: it is a story. But ‘story’ does not convey the right meaning when expressed as ‘telling a story’.
 It ought to be: ‘A story related through music’ by Albert Rudhardt and Frank Martin.
 This, I think, satisfies me best of all.
 It is the story of a town, the story of a group of children, the story of the sorceress and of Jean des Lunes, the flute player.

Excerpts from a presentation text by Frank Martin, written in 1956 and published in A propos de… commentaires de Frank Martin sur ses œuvres (Neuchâtel, 1984) | English translation by Rachel Ann Morgan

Premiere

World première: Geneva, 25 February 1933. Frank Martin, conductor

Recordings (selective list)

  • Giselle Bobillier, soprano; Hugues Cuenod, tenor; Camille Mauranne, baritone
    Guy Tréjean as Jean des Lunes; Pauline Martin as La Bergougne
    André Pépin, flute; Choeur de Chailly sur Clarens; Choeur de Collège de Montreux
    Members of l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Ernest Ansermet, conductor
    Live recording Radiodiffusion Suisse, Genève 10 March 1956
    Radio Suisse Romande ℗ + © 1956 (FMS106)
    (reduced version by Frank Martin, 1956)

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