| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| couleurs live at the opéra de limoges excerpts, 2'58" |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| couleurs, is a song cycle: a love story seen through colours, where each song is a colour. it is a multimedia concert where the translations of the songs are projected onto the dress, alcove curtain and walls. lyrics: nicole renaud ; music: n. renaud & uli geissendoerfer ; scenography & costume: jacques perdigues | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | prelude | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| grey - hold me in your arms in grey ... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| hold me in your arms in grey after the day, before nightfall, behind the silence and the rain, out of sight, sheltered from noise. hold me in your arms in grey very far from her as from him, behind the flowery folding screen near the statues fallen asleep. abandoned in prayer, disappearing in the heart of winter, deleting all traces and landmarks, choosing darkness rather thanz light. | hold me in your arms in grey hidden away backstage under the clouds fleeting away in the hollow of the afternoon. hold me in your arms in grey and gently, as by magic, on the couch of oblivion whisk me away to infinity ... emporte moi vers l’infini ... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| white – i want to give you white ... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| i want to give you white, the invisible. may my song stay with you like a whisper. may my quiet heart shine, unruffled, even when you're away, out of reach. | white towards the blue sky, snowflakes that never melt, my transparency. neither ice nor avalanche, your setting free. i want to give you white, the inexpressible, pure light feeling, irreversible. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| green – you draw the landscape of my body ... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| you draw the landscape of my body. green pastures, gentle valleys, but yet ... it springs from your kiss, it springs from your kiss, green pastures, gentle valleys, yes, it springs from your kiss. (...) | i am thus, your creature, your treasure. a cloud, hope or break of day. woman or fairy spellbound to your kiss, woman or fairy spellbound to your kiss. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| yellow – in the yellow rays of the sun ... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| deep waters and dark skies, i shall not fear. shadows and heavy clouds disappear. aimless days, sleepless nights, bitter tears, drift away with the tide, slowly clear. in the yellow rays of the sun
| see the mist of melancholy evaporating finally. hear the song of liberty flying through the air, sofly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| red – i send you some red ... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| letting the scenery race by erasing the city behind, unfurling quietly my mind while the train hums a lullaby. letting flamboyant burning skies sparkle on my face a new smile. as the day fades in autumn light, i watch the trees in the sun’s arms. | i send you some red. je t’envoie du rouge. i send you some love. une pensée d’amour. (...)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| black – you say "tell me about black ..." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| you lure me far into the passage saying: "tell me all about black ... mysterious mermaid of beauty, how cold is it on the ocean bed?" your masterful charcoal pencil then in a sombre circle draws the outline, deep shadows around my eyes, a riddle for you to unravel. | i plunge deep into the lake, into your body into passion without wavering or reflecting, without ever fearing the worst. on the rocks of your desire in the brightness of our bliss, you draw me in, give me light, and spin me free. thus have i not seen black ... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| silver – your silver madness ... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
your silver madness shines through darkness it mirrors my smile. | your madness will not kill me.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| blue – the blue night burns us up... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| the blue night burns us up. all that remains at daybreak is a foggy sigh, the ashes of our gestures. the long night burns us up in a lunar blaze reducing our glowing bodies to nought. | an echo of tenderness pervades the silence. after the shower, a scent of distress elates me. i implore the heavenly power of the goddess that we forever be reborn, that life shall never cease. (....) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| reviews | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| fr3 limoges interview (14 septembre 2012) > see video | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | corriere mercantile "nicole renaud: music, verses and fashion ... one of the key moment of the festival ..." (june 19th 2011) > read article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | il secolo XIX "unique and off the beaten path ... surreal dimension" (june 19th 2011) > read article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | wall text: rotating galleries newsletter "painting with chanson ... surreal visuals and ethereal music" (july 2011) > lire l'article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | il mattino la performance: a sound and visual journey into colors "... a soprano with an angelic voice ... a unique transparent luminous accordion ... an hour of dream ... a romantic visual and sound journey in the depth of the soul and love ... a very lively format ... a magical result ..." (october 24th 2010) > read article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | accordéon-accordéonistes review "couleurs" " ... in this album, nicole renaud's sound is white as snow. pure, transparent, lyrical, electroacoustic. intangible beauty, undefinable. unknown magical landscape bathed with enchanting visual music." > read article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | french morning/catherine cusset (goncourt literary award) "nicole renaud's nostalgic grace ... couleurs's poetry in the style of prévert". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| pascale richard's blog "nicole renaud is a modern iseult seducing her tristan with her romantic ballads ... in the same vein as brigitte Fontaine or marie laforet, she is an inspiring young woman, a poet who dwells in nostalgia ..." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| communiqué de presse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
scenography | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| originally trained as a stylist in the école des arts appliqués, jacques perdigues now travels freely from haute couture to cinema, theater and special events. he is the recipient the premier prix christian dior. throughout his artistic adventures his main focus remains visuals. his credits includes assisting thierry mugler and galliano, designing sets and costumes for victoria chaplin, doing art direction for french cabaret star jean guidon and directing his own theater piece femme 3 at the "maison des métallos" in paris. "couleurs" is his first collaboration with nicole. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
the album | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
> listen to album  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| length of the show - 50': on intermission - 1hour and 1/2: a 20' intermission with the involvement of the audience writing haikus about colors. the band - solo: voice and accordion - duo: + cello - trio: + string quartet technical specs nicole brings her own microphones, projector, circular curtian past dates les nuits de nacre, festival internazionale di fisarmonica, tulles- 13 settembre 2012 suona francese, tour organizzato dal 'ambasciata francese in italia, institut français napoli & noto - maggio 2012 institut français annaba (algeria), ottobre 2012 bienale de la chanson française bruxelles (belga), settembre 2012 festival internazionale di poesia di genova (italie) - june 19th 2011 opéra de limoges (france) - may 10th 2011 theaterlab, new york (usa) - february, march & june 2011 galapagos, new york (usa), may2011 théâtre le temps, paris (france) - january 2011 théâtre le bout, paris (france) - september 2010 gotland international poetry festival, gotland (sweden) - august 2010 centre culturel français, annaba (algérie) - october 2010 nyu maison française, new york (usa) - may 2010 galapagos art space new york (usa) - november 2009     haikus from the audience  > haikus from new york > haikus from naples | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||