05 THE OBC AND MARION COTILLARD

By Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher (1938) is an imposing oratorio. Unlike other banal versions of the myth, the libretto is a highly original creation by French poet and playwright Paul Claudel, who perfectly dramatises the last moments of the martyr's life (viewers can enjoy a simultaneous translation of the French verse by Miquel Desclot). Honegger highlights all the anguish and tension of Joan's interrogation and subsequent execution. Originally written for actress Ida Rubinstein, an excellent ballerina and actress who was the first to perform the part, the oratorio is written as a flashback in which Joan recalls her life, just before she dies. A great film composer, 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.