Recueillement

Описание: The “Recueillement” project at the Horta Museum began with a conversation between museum curator Benjamin Zurstrassen, and pianist Virgile Van Essche.
The two agreed on the fact that the presence of an original 1900 Erard piano from the Maene collection in the living room of the House was an invitation to perform music there.
Virgile, with his expertise in the repertoire for voice and piano music, suggested the genre of French mélodie.

Now came the moment to choose the perfect song, and the most appropriate text to match such a particular space. The song “Recueillement”, bycomposer Claude Debussy, a setting of one of Charles Baudelaire’s most memorable poems, was chosen.

After all, who could be more suited than Baudelaire for depicting the quest for a protected inner sanctuary that accompanies Horta’s architecture? Victor Horta’s architecture aspires to be something of a protective bastion set against the outside world. Furthermore, in this cycle of songs on Baudelaire’s texts, French composer Debussy arguably comes nearer than ever to Wagner’s sound world, of which Horta himself was a great admirer.
Taking that text as a starting point, director Benjamin Bruyninx stepped in with ideas for a script. The action is more symbolic than concrete, in the style of Horta’s organic motives.
Nevertheless, the poetry and the visual world are at one with each other and it is Baudelaire’s character of Pain dressed in white who wanders through the rooms of the House, eventually
finding peace.

Credits:
• Soprano/Actress: Juliette Allen
• Pianist: Virgile Van Essche
• Cinematography: Benjamin Bruyninx
• Sound: Nicolas Charloteaux
• Music: Claude Debussy (1862–1918) — Recueillement (from Five Poems of Charles Baudelaire, IV)
• Text: Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867)
• Costumes for Ms Allen: Gabrielle Vintage
• Hair: Charles Olivier
• Instrument: 1900 Érard piano, Chris Maene Collection