La Nique à Satan

Frank Martin La Nique à Satan

La Nique à Satan takes place in a quaint, old-fashioned town plagued by constant quarrels and overshadowed by the threat of the fearsome witch Bergougne. The arrival of Jean des Lunes, a poet-musician armed with a magical flute, ultimately saves the town from destruction.
Composed by Frank Martin to a text by Albert Rudhardt, La Nique à Satan is described as a ‘popularly inspired spectacle’. Rudhardt’s tale, with the charm of a children’s story, blends irony, depth, humor, and innocence. On this foundation, Frank Martin achieves the remarkable feat of writing music that is at once popular, witty, and picturesque, while crafting a sophisticated score with particularly rich and refined instrumentation.
Premiered in 1933 at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the work comes back to life in a new version featuring a men’s choir, a women’s choir, a children’s choir, four soloists, an instrumental ensemble of 25 musicians, and actors, in a staging by Benjamin Knobil.

Natacha Casagrande, music direction
Benjamin Knobil, scenography
Charlotte Lepine, costumes
William Ballério, lighting
Orchestre de la Haute École de Musique de Genève
Grand chœur de la Haute École de Musique de Genève
Cantus Laetus
Maîtrise du conservatoire populaire
Benjamin Knobil, Jean des Lunes
Mariama Sylla, la Bergougne
Cyprien Collombo, le raseur
Michel Rossy, le bègue

soloists
Célia Legentil, Santiago Crespo, Mathias Lonchay and Brieuc de Bremond d’Ars

This concert is part of L’Odyssée Frank Martin.