Joan of Arc at the Stake (2022)

On November 17 2012 Oscarwinning French actress Marion Cotillard joined the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra for a performance of Arthur Honeggers oratorio Joan of Arc at the Stake Jeanne dArc au Bûcher at the LAuditori de Barcelona in Spain broadcast live on Medicitv By Swiss composer Arthur Honegger Jeanne dArc au Bûcher 1938 is an imposing oratorio The libretto is a highly original creation by French poet and playwright Paul Claudel who dramatises the last moments of the martyrs life Originally written for actress Ida Rubinstein the oratorio is written as a flashback in which Joan recalls her life just before she dies Honegger creates visually evocative ambiances and fills the orchestra with new sounds saxophones ondes Martenot The initial prologue to the piece was added in 1944 as a symbol of the resistance during the Nazi occupation of France again Joan goes beyond her own story