Live animals and baking bread feature in Messiaen’s `Saint François d’Assise’ at Salzburg Festival
SALZBURG, Austria (AP) — Philippe Sly worked up a sweat to prepare for the daunting title role in “Saint François d’Assise,” composer…
Philippe Sly prepared for his challenging role as Saint Francis in Olivier Messiaen's monumental opera "Saint François d’Assise" at the Salzburg Festival. The Canadian bass-baritone moved into the Capuchin monastery 7 1/2 weeks prior to the Aug. 4 opening, enduring sweltering summer heat waves. Sly immersed himself in Franciscan morning prayers and embraced the monastery's daily routines, developing a deep connection with the community.
The 6-hour, 20-minute, eight-tableau opera, composed by Messiaen in his final years, tells the spiritual journey of St. Francis, including his encounter with a leper and sermon to birds. The score features two percussion sections and electronic instruments, reflecting Messiaen's faith. Conductor Maxime Pascal leads 120 musicians and a 90-voice chorus through six performances, with a second conductor signaling complex percussion beats.
Sly's immersion in the monastery life proved invaluable, as he longed for the Eucharist Mass and Vespers during his time there.
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