Olivier Py
Encyclopedia
Olivier Py is a French stage director, actor and writer.
In 1997, Py became director of the Centre Dramatique National d'Orléans. In 2007, he became director of the Théâtre de l'Odéon
.
Py describes himself as Catholic and homosexual. He is known for his emphasis on Catholic and homoerotic themes.
Since the early 2000s, Py has increasingly devoted himself to the opera
. His productions of La Damnation de Faust, Tannhäuser
and Tristan und Isolde
, all in Geneva
, have generally been well received. In March 2008, he debuted at the Paris Opéra
. On this occasion he stated to a French magazine (Diapason, March 2008) that he "would not be done staging operas until [he] did Wagner's Ring
and Parsifal
".
In 1997, Py became director of the Centre Dramatique National d'Orléans. In 2007, he became director of the Théâtre de l'Odéon
Odéon
The Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe is one of France's six national theatres.It is located at 2 rue Corneille in the 6th arrondissement of Paris on the left bank of the Seine, next to the Luxembourg Garden...
.
Py describes himself as Catholic and homosexual. He is known for his emphasis on Catholic and homoerotic themes.
Since the early 2000s, Py has increasingly devoted himself to the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. His productions of La Damnation de Faust, Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
and Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
, all in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, have generally been well received. In March 2008, he debuted at the Paris Opéra
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
. On this occasion he stated to a French magazine (Diapason, March 2008) that he "would not be done staging operas until [he] did Wagner's Ring
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
and Parsifal
Parsifal
Parsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
".
Works written and directed
- 1988: Des oranges et des ongles
- 1990: Gaspacho, un chien mort
- 1991: La femme canon et le bouquet final
- 1992: Les Aventures de Paco Goliard
- 1992: La Nuit au cirque
- 1992: La chèvre
- 1994: La Jeune fille, le diable et le moulin
- 1995: La Servante - histoire sans fin
- 1996: Apologétique
- 1997: Le Visage d'Orphée
- 1998: Requiem pour Srebrenica
- 1999: L'Eau de la vie
- 2000: Le Cabaret de Miss Knife
- 2000: L'apocalypse joyeuse
- 2001: Au monde comme n'y étant pas
- 2001: L'Exaltation du labyrinthe
- 2003: Jeunesse
- 2004: Le Vase de parfums, opera libretto
- 2004: Faust Nocturne
- 2004: Miss Knife chante Olivier Py
- 2005: Les Vainqueurs
- 2006: Illusions Comiques
- 2011: "Romeo et Juliette", the french version at "Theatre de l'Odeon"
- Épître aux jeunes acteurs pour que soit rendue la parole à la parole
Published works
- 1994: La Jeune fille, le diable et le moulin, L'école des loisirs
- 1998: Théâtre, Solitaires Intempestifs
- 2005: Les Vainqueurs, Actes Sud
- 2007: Les Enfants de Saturne
Other productions
- 1989: Mon Père qui fonctionnait par périodes culinaires et autres (Elizabeth Mazev)
- 1996: Miss Knife et sa baraque chantante, Festival d'Avignon
- 1993: Les Drôles (Elizabeth Mazev)
- 1999: Der Freischütz (Carl Maria von WeberCarl Maria von WeberCarl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
), Opéra de Nancy - 2001: Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Jacques OffenbachJacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
), Grand Théâtre de GenèveGrand Théâtre de GenèveGrand Théâtre de Genève is an opera house in Geneva, Switzerland.As with many other opera houses, the Grand Théâtre de Genève is both a venue and an institution. The venue is a majestic building, towering over Place Neuve, officially opened in 1876, partly destroyed by fire in 1951 and reopened in... - 2003: La Damnation de Faust (Hector BerliozHector BerliozHector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
), Geneva - 2003: Le Soulier de satin (Paul ClaudelPaul ClaudelPaul Claudel was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism.-Life:...
), Orléans - 2005: Tristan und Isolde (Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, Geneva - 2005: Tannhäuser (Richard Wagner), Geneva
- 2006: A Cry From Heaven (Vincent WoodsVincent WoodsVincent Woods is an Irish poet and playwright. He currently hosts The Arts Show on RTÉ Radio 1.-His life:Woods was born in County Leitrim. Woods lived in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia and worked as a journalist with Raidió Teilifís Éireann until 1989. Woods' radio play, The...
) - 2006: Curlew River (Benjamin BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
) - 2008: The Rake's Progress (Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
), Opéra National de Paris (Palais GarnierPalais GarnierThe Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
) - 2008: La Trilogie du Diable: La Damnation de Faust (Hector BerliozHector BerliozHector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
), Der Freischütz (Carl Maria von WeberCarl Maria von WeberCarl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
), Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Jacques OffenbachJacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
). Grand Théâtre de GenèveGrand Théâtre de GenèveGrand Théâtre de Genève is an opera house in Geneva, Switzerland.As with many other opera houses, the Grand Théâtre de Genève is both a venue and an institution. The venue is a majestic building, towering over Place Neuve, officially opened in 1876, partly destroyed by fire in 1951 and reopened in...
Actor
- 1989: Dis-moi oui, dis-moi non (short) directed by Noémie Lvovsky
- 1995: Funny BonesFunny BonesFunny Bones is a 1995 comedy-drama film from Disney's Hollywood Pictures. It was written, directed and produced by Peter Chelsom, co-produced by Simon Fields, and co-written by Peter Flannery. The music score was by John Altman and the cinematography by Eduardo Serra...
directed by Peter Chelsom - 1995: Au petit Marguery directed by Laurent Bénégui
- 1995: 75 centilitres de prière (short) directed by Jacques Maillot
- 1995: Corps inflammables (short) directed by Jacques Maillot
- 1996: Casse-casse partie (TV) directed by Gérard Renouf
- 1996: Chacun cherche son chat directed by Cédric KlapischCédric KlapischCédric Klapisch , is a French film director.Klapisch was born at Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to Auschwitz. He studied cinema at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle as well as at the University of Paris VIII...
- 1997: La Divine poursuite directed by Michel DevilleMichel DevilleMichel Deville is a French film director and screenwriter.Deville started his filmmaking career in the late 1950s, paralleling the emergence of the French New Wave directors...
- 1998: Late August, Early SeptemberLate August, Early SeptemberLate August, Early September is a 1998 French drama film directed by Olivier Assayas and starring Mathieu Amalric.-Cast:* Mathieu Amalric as Gabriel* Virginie Ledoyen as Anne* François Cluzet as Adrien* Jeanne Balibar as Jenny* Alex Descas as Jérémie...
- 1999: Peut-être directed by Cédric Klapisch
- 1999: Nos vies heureusesOur Happy LivesOur Happy Lives is a 1999 French drama film directed by Jacques Maillot. It was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Marie Payen - Julie* Cécile Richard - Cécile* Camille Japy - Emilie* Sami Bouajila - Ali* Eric Bonicatto - Jean-Paul...
directed by Jacques MaillotJacques MaillotJacques Maillot is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed seven films since 1993. His film Nos vies heureuses was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:* Des fleurs coupées... - 2000: Les Yeux fermés (TV) directed by Olivier Py