La marche à l`étoile, by the Chat Noir
Transcription
La marche à l`étoile, by the Chat Noir
english La Marche à l’étoile, by the Chat Noir (Black Cat) Shadow Theatre zoom on... French Shadow and Paper Theatres Room La marche à l’étoile, coverage of the first performance of the lyrical play, Chat Noir Shadow Theatre, 1890, Inv. (9)54.243 Le Chat Noir (The Black Cat): cabaret, magazine... and theatre! In 1882, Rodolphe Salis created a literary and artistic cafe in Montmartre: The famous cabaret du Chat Noir, frequented by the literary, artistic, intellectual, political and middle class elite of the era. A few months later, Salis created the journal du Chat Noir, a satirical, creative and eclectic magazine aimed at boosting public awareness of the cabaret, which met with resounding success. It even provided the inspiration for a short-lived publication in Lyon in 1892: Le Chat Noir lyonnais (see Inv. 971.4). Salis developed a shadow theatre at the cabaret from 1886 onwards. About forty plays, of two distinctive types, were performed there between 1886 and 1897: The satirical and lyrical repertoire. It was Rodolphe Salis who embodied the spirit of the cabaret: His vigour and yarns cannot be dissociated from the plays which he enjoyed commenting on in real time. The symbol of the Chat Noir – big cat with piercing eyes - was created by illustrator Théophile Steinlen in 1896 on the occasion of a theatre tour. The Première of La Marche à l’étoile On 6 January 1890, the cabaret du Chat Noir, rue Victor-Massé, in the 9th arrondissement (district) of Paris presents La marche à l’étoile: It became the flagship of theatre productions, boasting over 500 performances in Paris and on tour! A century later, it was reconstituted in its original format as a joint production between the Orsay Museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts. On screen, the original paintings and zincs by Henri Rivière against an original music score by Georges Fragerolle. Jean Godement was the director and Patrick Ladoucette the producer under the artistic guidance of Mariel Oberthür. This reconstituted version is presented here on the Place au spectacle projection circuit. grey words: items that can be seen in this room The Chat Noir Celebration Room, water colour, Paul Merwart .../... | MARIONNETTES DU MONDE You may find the notice boards of the museum rooms on our website, at www.gadagne.musees.lyon.fr La Marche à l’étoile, english by the Chat Noir (Black Cat) Shadow Theatre These shadows are characters between 35 and 50cm high, cut out from zinc, which ensures their rigidity and guarantees a marked, expressive outline. The star that the characters are following is a negative shadow, cut out against a black background. A few years before the birth of cinematography, Rodolphe Salis and Henri Rivière invented plays with animated images… Mystery or mystic play La Marche à l’étoile is a one-act play with ten scenes. It portrays the gathering together of mankind on the announcement of the birth of Jesus: Everyone – shepherds, fishermen, soldiers, women, slaves or lepers – walk in a long procession following a star shining brightly in the heavens above, up to the Worship scene, which reunites them. This long nocturnal march is 9 minutes and 30 seconds long: The scenes follow on from each other at the pace of the group effects with variations in scenery or subtly coloured skies, culminating in the final scene where a radiant sky announces the resurrection of Christ. The religious leanings of the Chat Noir theatre, which is also expressed in other plays, corresponds more to the spirituality and religious beliefs disseminated in the late 19th c. than to renewed Catholicism. The poetic Marche à l’étoile is a typical lyrical Shadow play. A cutting edge technique… grey words: items that can be seen in this room The Chat Noir Theatre adopts a complex technique and stage direction invented and developed by Henri Rivière, who soon became the master of shadow theatre. His various talents as both an artist (painter, illustrator, engraver and lithographer) and inventor (mechanic, physician and chemist) are behind the aesthetically pleasing and technical brilliance of Chat Noir. A theatre more than 10m high is concealed behind a stage measuring 1m2 at the sides! Right at the heart of the production, the light from a blowtorch illuminates the screen from a distance of 3m. But, prior to this, it crosses through the more complex combinations of coloured glass, which bestow the scenes with their unique atmosphere. A sliding channel with multiple grooves also allows the rotation of two-way mirrors depicting skies and landscapes: some plays use up to 150 mirrors and 12 stage hands! … combined with masterpieces! The Chat Noir shadow theatre maintains close links with various art forms. Apart from the involvement of composers for each play, the creation of shadows and scenery – and displays! - it arranges drawing and painting, involving artists such as Henri Rivière, Caran d’Ache, Louis Morin or Ferdinand Fau. Literature is no stranger to this theatre either since original texts or poems are frequently presented: Wealth in the image of the cabaret’s artistic melting. The triumphant Chat noir tours The Chat noir shadow theatre was so successful that Rodolphe Salis and his troupe travelled the length and breadth of France from December 1891 onwards, giving numerous performances in the provinces – especially in Lyon in 1892 at the Théâtre Bellecour - as well as abroad (in Belgium, Turkey, Algeria, Switzerland and Russia). Rodolphe Salis would constantly stay informed of the latest local news and snippets of gossip, which he took pleasure in circulating regardless of the unpleasant comments made during the shows! In 1897, the cabaret did not survive the disappearance of its creator. The Chat Noir shadow plays were then taken up by several theatres and tours in the early 20th c., but disappeared with the First World War. The new theater Bellecour in Lyons, frontage of the entry, drawing of Mr. Scott, according to the sketches of Felix Régamey In the wings, a system of levels enable stage hands, musicians and creators of unusual special effects to coexist, side by side, allowing shadows of characters and scenery mounted on wooden chassis to finally glide along the screen, always from right to left, and from different angles, thus creating the effects at depth. | MARIONNETTES DU MONDE You may find the notice boards of the museum rooms on our website, at www.gadagne.musees.lyon.fr V. Bonfils / D. Miège / P. Gausset / photo credits: muséeCarnavalet ©musées Gadagne The Lepers, 4th scene in La Marche à l’étoile, design by Henri Rivière