Bach 6 solo

Robert Wilson, Lucinda Childs, and the violinist Jennifer Koh reunite for a brand-new work in the heart of the Saint-Louis de la Salpêtrière Chapel.

This season-opener marks a highly symbolic redux: after having been the setting for works by several visual artists, from Bill Viola to Daniel Hourdé, the chapel of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital revives its history with the performing arts. In 1975, Klaus Michael Grüber hit the scene with a Faust for the books; now it’s Robert Wilson’s turn to create a one-of-a-kind work, bringing four dancers together in a piece choreographed by Lucinda Childs. The dancers move to Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, interpreted by Jennifer Koh. Koh’s three famous Bach & Beyond albums went above and “beyond” the famous composer to ask: is Bach the next Philip Glass? And is this play, the core counterpoint - vulnerable yet salutary - the natural evolution of the St. John Passion recently glorified by Wilson?

Photos: © Lucie Jansch | © Juergen Frank