At the Théâtre du Jorat, the end of Christ’s life in electro-jazz version

Published on July 2, 2024 at 3:43 p.m. / Modified on July 2, 2024 at 3:58 p.m.

With a beard and long hair representing Christ, the dancer Marius Haubois whirls like a dervish, a monumental wooden beam placed under his neck like a beast of burden, while other dancers from the ADN Dialect company twirl around him, dodging the moving obstacle. The image symbolizes the cross on which Jesus was crucified, of course, but it also moves as a metaphor for time, for the inevitability of Christ’s death as well as ours. Here is one of the scenes from the show INRIwhich is being performed this weekend at the Théâtre du Jorat in Mézières. Set up for the 30th anniversary of the No Square quartet, the project includes – in addition to its musicians and dancers – the Sinfonietta de Lausanne and the Post Tenebras Lux choir, for a jazz reinterpretation of a monument, created exactly 300 years ago: nothing less than the Passion according to Saint Johnby Bach.

“This is not a provocation: I simply love this work, which I had thought about rearranging about twenty years ago,” says André Hahne, founder of No Square and initiator of the project. “Some people may be perplexed by such a challenge, but I like to imagine that Bach would surely be happy that we are trying something new with his work, he who was so revolutionary – by daring to use certain chromaticisms or superpositions of tones. Listen to a Passion In church at the time, it was in some ways like attending a theatrical performance. INRIwe use dance to highlight the story and bring it up to date.”

All the latest news at your fingertips!

For only CHF 29.- per month, get unlimited access to all our articles. Take advantage of our special offer: the first month for only CHF 9.-!

SUBSCRIBE

Already subscribed?
To log in