Benjamin Lazar and Geoffroy Jourdain's 'Heptaméron' Blends Renaissance Tales with Madrigals in Paris

Benjamin Lazar and Geoffroy Jourdain's production 'Heptaméron. Récits de la chambre obscure' premiered at the Maison de la culture d'Amiens and will be staged at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris from February 1 to 23, 2019. The work interweaves five stories from Marguerite de Navarre's 16th-century collection 'L'Heptaméron' with one from Boccaccio's 'Decameron', alongside contemporary anecdotes by actor Geoffrey Carey. Six performers—four men and two women—alternate between acting and singing madrigals from the 1580–1610 period, including works by composers like Marenzio, Pallavicino, Rossi, Marini, Gesualdo, and Monteverdi. A translucent curtain projects their images, enhancing the emotional interplay. The production explores tragic passions through a fusion of spoken word and polyphonic music, highlighting a historical transition between medieval polyphony and Baroque opera. Marguerite de Navarre's unfinished work, published posthumously in 1558 in Paris, serves as the narrative core, with madrigals amplifying the characters' emotions. The performance avoids strict categorization as either theater or music, instead creating a subtle, evolving tapestry. Visuals are credited to Simon Gosselin, and the article is authored by Bastien Gallet.