Camille Claudel : Dans l'ombre du géant / In The Shadow Of A Giant

Stéphanie Pothier, mezzo-soprano, Quatuor Molinari
Video design: Stéphanie Pothier and Julien-Robert

a multimedia concert combining music, voice, visual arts and digital art.

Concept

Living, loving, creating in the shadow of a giant; such was the fate of many female creators at the turn of the last century. Camille Claudel, recognized as one of the greatest French sculptors, was never able to make a living from her work and was condemned to shine in the light of Rodin. As our era aspires to achieve gender equality, it is important that we look at the work of these female artists of the past who are slow to be recognized and whose talent has been allowed to wither in favor of male creators.

A multimedia concert around the life and work of French sculptor Camille Claudel and her female contemporaries who remained in the shadow of the male creative giants of their time.

With renowned Molinari Quartet, Stéphanie Pothier sings melodies by Debussy and "Camille Claudel: Into the Fire" by the American Jake Heggie, all complemented by the Germaine Tailleferre’s String Quartet, a woman composer contemporary of Claudel.

This is a very accessible program of 20th and 21st century music, accompanied by an innovative and poetic video creation by Julien-Robert and Stéphanie Pothier, projected on eight vertical screens.

The scenography includes eight screens on which are projected videos developed from photographs of the works of Camille Claudel and female painters of the same era (Valadon, Laurencin, Modersohn-Becker, Goncharova, Marval). The chamber music concert experience is thus enhanced by a coherent and powerful multimedia dimension. 

Program:

Camille Claudel : Into the Fire, Jake Heggie, for mezzo-soprano and string quartett

Quatuor à cordes, Germaine Tailleferre

Trois chansons de Bilitis, Claude Debussy, arranged formezzo-soprano and string quartett by Jake Heggie

Programmers and critics comments:

"Camille Claudel: In the Shadow Of A Giant is the meeting of artists at the height of their art gathered around a unique and very beautiful project. I was overwhelmed by the power of this multimedia creation. It is of flawless precision and eminent generosity.”
- David Laferrière, General and Artistic Director, Théâtre Outremont (Canada) and President of RIDEAU

"Camille Claudel: dans l'ombre du géant is a turnkey and accessible show where the audience is immersed in an exceptional poetic universe. Presented at the Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay in the fall of 2022, the work delighted spectators thanks to an ingenious mix of projections, lyrical singing and musical prowess. A winning and unique recipe that charmed a room that was "sold out."  
- Olivier Toutiras, cultural agent, Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay (Canada) 

"Highly recommended. (...) I didn't loose attention for a second."  
- Caroline Rodgers, music journalist, Ludwig van Montréal

Audience Comments:

"An extraordinary experience! The choice of music and musicianship were outstanding, as was the vocalist! The visuals were a wonderful addition to the show and were delivered to the highest level! Thank you and bravo to all!"

"I loved everything about it. The music, all the pieces and performances, the magnificent voice, and the staging."

"A wonderful show, original, rich, beautifully composed and performed. A beautiful balance between voice, music, and projections."

"Magnificent and sublime after a long day of manual labor, I was transported by the ensemble's music and the singer."

"Thank you for the time spent with you. The boldly colored video projection complemented the music well. The musicians' performance was impeccable, and Stéphanie's presence was impressive."

"Sublime, the sets, the musicians, the opera singer—everything was perfect for this work."

Summary : multimedia concert for voice and string quartet with video projections around the theme of women artists of the turn of the 20^th century.

Musicians : Stéphanie Pothier, mezzo-soprano; Molinari String Quartet

Video designers : Julien-Robert and Stéphanie Pothier

Producer / booking : ClairObscur, Stéphanie Pothier, +001 514.512.4427, info@stephaniepothier.com

Genre : classical music / contemporary music / multidisciplinary arts / digital art / engaged art

Languages : music in French and English, no narration

Repertoire : Claude DEBUSSY, Germaine TAILLEFERRE, Jake HEGGIE

Duration : 60 minutes, without intermission.

Number of people on tour : 6 (5 on stage, 1 tech)

Technical specifications

Stage dimensions : Ideal = 9m L x 4.5m P x 5m H, Adjustable to adapt to smaller stages.

Setup time : 4 hours; strike: 1 hour

Screens and projectors provided by the producer

Booking : info@stephaniepothier.com