Chin (English version)

An industrial dispute in a sugar factory in La Reunion Island in 1955

The theme

In 1955 on Reunion Island, Mr Roger, a former Petain supporter, appeals to the ‘Reds’ and to the son of Doctor Papa, Chin (pronounced like «Chine» in French) to help save his Bel Air sugar factory.  The factory is saved but the Roger family, in the grip of a curse, breaks apart and Chin has to take refuge in the mountains 

The performance

1 hr 50 mins with English subtitles, composer and conductor Jean-Luc Trulès, director and libretto writer Emmanuel Genvrin, set designer and video images Hervé Mazelin, wardrobe Térésa Small and Laurence Julien, choir conducted by  Landy Andriamboavonjy. With : Heng Shi (Chin), Anne-Marguerite Werster (Elisabeth), Jean-Philippe Courtis (Monsieur Roger), Holy Razafindrazaka (Héva), Karim Bouzra (Charles), Aurore Ugolin (Rézéda), Jossselin Michalon (Darma). Choir from Reunion : Nicole Leichnig, Roselyne Blucker, Stéphanie Miquel, Damien Lazartigues, Léopold Pauline, Anaïs Monray, Stéphane Allouche, Alix Vienne. Choir from Madagascar : Ando Rabeson, Voninavoko Ranosiarilala, Natacha Rajemison, Lova Raoelison, Ando Razananaivo, Dominique Rakotonirina, Blaise Rantoanina, Herrick-Hubert Rajaonah, Rado Tovonjarahariliva, Sahy Ratianarinaivo, Landy Andriamboavonjy. Orchestra : Reunion and Massy Opera Orchestra, including Reunionese accordion and percussions and the Chinese erhu soloist Guo Gan.

Videos

Creation and tours

World premiere at Champ Fleuri theatre (Saint Denis, Reunion Island) on April 2010, revival and tour on May 2011 (Reunion) and October 2011 at Jean-Vilar theatre Vitry-sur-Seine (France), recorded the 1th of October 2011. 

Portfolio

photos captioned in French

Press reviews

Faced with the originality – indeed the cheek – of the undertaking one can only but applaud. Emmanuel Genvrin has written a powerful and complex libretto, where public interest and private destinies are intertwined. 

Thierry Guyenne, Opéra Magazine

With Chin, co-written with the composer Jean-Luc Trulès, Vollard Theater goes to a new level. The music and 57 participants of the opera, sung in French and Creole, are a microcosm of Reunionese society, blend classical, maloya (Afro-Malagasy former slave music), Creole, Asian and Indian melodies, symphonic orchestra instruments as well as the Chinese violin (erhu). 

Marie-Aude Roux, Le Monde

Trulès knows how to harmonize the instruments’ timbres; he knows how to write for voices. The score puts to advantage several very good duets, ensembles and choruses. Sinuous melodic lines, superimposed rhythms, very present percussion, echoes of Indian, Chinese and Malagasy (maloya) music, this is music which is accessible without demagoguery, which imitates nobody.

Laurent Bury, Forumopéra

An opera of musical maturity and exceptional writing.

Corinne Moncel, Afrique-Asie

Articles

• Opéra Magazine, June 2010. Chin Opera in Saint-Denis Réunion Island.
• Le Monde, September 2011. Paul Vergès, From Senate to stage.
• Afrique Asie, November 2011. The inconvenient opera.
• Forumopéra October 2011. If only Domingo was from Reunion Island!
• Cassandre, September 2009, Interview Emmanuel Genvrin sur la compagnie Vollard (in French).
• Le Monde, March 2012, portrait d’Emmanuel Genvrin (in French)