Concert

Monday 04 Aug 2025

20:30

Classical

804TA

Mikrokosmos – Saga des peuples sans armure

“Saga of the peoples without armour” is a powerful work with music by Veljo Tormis and Arvo Pärt that celebrates the memory of the Baltic peoples. This unique fusion of tradition, music and kabuki theatre is performed by the avant-garde Mikrokosmos choir.

Mikrokosmos – Saga des peuples sans armure

In 2025, the Mikrokosmos choir will celebrate Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday and Veljo Tormis’s 95th birthday with Saga of the peoples without armour, a vibrant homage to these two masters of Estonian music. Under the direction of Loïc Pierre, the performance touches on three themes: the memory of the Baltic peoples, embodied by Tormis’s secular and Pärt’s sacred works; the French language, which boasts unique adaptations of Tormis’s compositions; and kabuki theatre, whose stage design and dramaturgy create a bridge between the Eastern and the Western world.

Audiences will be swept away on a musical and visual journey featuring non-traditional instruments where songs of harvest, grief and celebration mix with modern sounds. The choir’s costumes combine Baltic and Japanese traditions and add a sparkling visual touch, while the immersive stage design will make audiences feel deeply connected to the tumultuous history of the Baltic peoples.

Saga of the peoples without armour is much more than a concert. It’s an encompassing scenographic experience, a cappella music mixing with poetry and dramatic art to transmit a deeply moving universal message.

  • French adaptation : Pierre Gief
  • Dramaturgy : Pierre Gief and Loïc Pierre
  • Scenography, stage direction and musical direction: Loïc Pierre

Programme

Saga des peuples sans armure

Programme to be confirmed.

  • Veljo Tormis /Helletüsed / Souvenirs d’enfance, appels du troupeau
  • Arvo Pärt / O Weisheit / Ô Sagesse
  • Veljo Tormis /Kolm eesti mängulaulu / 3 chants de travail Varjele, Jumala soasta / Plus jamais ça Lauliku lapsepõli / Berceuse bleue
  • Arvo Pärt / O Morgenstern / Ô étoile du matin
  • Veljo Tormis / Röntyshkä II et III Kiigelaulul I et II Ringmangulaulul Veimevaka jagamine Oekene, Sirgukene
  • Arvo Pärt / O Adonai
  • Veljo Tormis / Ussissõnad / Le serpent
  • Veljo Tormis /Raua needmine / L’incantation du fer
  • Cyrillus Kreek : Maga, Maga, Matsikene / Vie

Biographie(s)

Mikrokosmos

Mikrokosmos is a French a cappella choir founded and directed by Loïc Pierre and known for its avant-garde performances and original creations. For the past 35 years, Mikrokosmos has been experimenting with choral singing, dissolving the boundaries between different arts by fusing music, theatre, dance and video. Made up of 40 young singers, the choir has won 25 international awards. Its varied repertoire spans from contemporary works to Scandinavian and Baltic traditional music. Each Mikrokosmos concert is an immersive and deeply emotional experience.