Behind the Scenes: Crafting the Sets for Opera 'Bartleby' in Liège
This article provides an immersive look into the workshops of the Royal Opera of Wallonia-Liège in Ans, where the sets and costumes for the opera 'Bartleby' were created. Spanning 8,150 square meters, these facilities function as a bustling industrial complex housing carpenters, painters, seamstresses, and other artisans. Between February and April, teams refined the production's visual elements, focusing on large, six-meter-high white walls designed to evoke ambiguity and unease, reflecting the mysterious nature of Herman Melville’s original story. Scenographer Vincent Lemaire and decor workshop head Teresa Campos explain how matte finishes with pearly reflections create a sense of cracking reality within a realistic New York office setting. The piece highlights the technical precision required, such as machining bricks for efficiency and ensuring invisible joints to maintain emotional subtlety. It also touches on the logistical challenges of managing multiple productions simultaneously, emphasizing the collaborative effort and compromise necessary to bring the creators' visions to life on stage.
Wire timeline
Behind the Scenes: Crafting the Sets for Opera 'Bartleby' in Liège
This article provides an immersive look into the workshops of the Royal Opera of Wallonia-Liège in Ans, where the sets and costumes for the opera 'Bartleby' were created. Spanning 8,150 square meters, these facilities function as a bustling industrial complex housing carpenters, painters, seamstresses, and other artisans. Between February and April, teams refined the production's visual elements, focusing on large, six-meter-high white walls designed to evoke ambiguity and unease, reflecting the mysterious nature of Herman Melville’s original story. Scenographer Vincent Lemaire and decor workshop head Teresa Campos explain how matte finishes with pearly reflections create a sense of cracking reality within a realistic New York office setting. The piece highlights the technical precision required, such as machining bricks for efficiency and ensuring invisible joints to maintain emotional subtlety. It also touches on the logistical challenges of managing multiple productions simultaneously, emphasizing the collaborative effort and compromise necessary to bring the creators' visions to life on stage.
Le Soir