SINGING, NARRATION, DANCE & INSTRUMENTS
Three artists from the Ensemble Irini have joined forces to present a concert-performance based on *
* —Christine dePizan’s *La Cité des Dames* , considered the first feminist philosophical work
in the Western world, published in 1405! In it, Christine de Pizan constructs
an ideal city whose building blocks are illustrious women; she critiques the misogyny of her
era and advocates for women to play an active role in
the functioning of society.
This intimate concert isdesigned to allow the audience to discover this work
through music and movement, but above all in an interactive and entertaining way,
humorously navigating from one prejudice to the next. These figures from the Middle Ages are
deeply connected to their modern counterparts. Thus, Louise Michel was nicknamed the “
” (Red Virgin), and Monique Wittig, with her *Guérillères* or her *Jeanne d’Arc*, is part
of the legacy of Christine de Pizan.
The recited excerpts are accompanied by medieval dance music (
’s “Tristan/Manfredina” cycle, estampies, saltarelli) performed on the rebec, ney, flutes, and
percussion, and are also presented through a blend of theater and contemporary dance. You
will hear songs from *Toile*, the quintessential female repertoire;pieces
dedicated to the Virgin Mary; Yseult’s song defying God to separate her from Tristan; and
songs by troubadours and trobaïritz.
Improvisation, intimacy, sharing, and interaction are the principles that shape this
concert/performance.
