Julie Depardieu in Monaco for “The Nutcracker” at the Rainier III auditorium and “Misia Sert” at the Princess Grace theatre: interview –
We will soon be in 2023 and, to start this new year off right, actress Julie Depardieu will be in Monaco for two events. On January 4 at the Rainier III auditorium, accompanied by soloists from the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, she read “The Nutcracker”. The next day, Thursday January 5, she will be on the stage of the Princess Grace theater where, alongside flautist Juliette Hurel and pianist Hélène Couvert, she will introduce us to Misia Sert, who was, for more than forty years, a pianist gifted and the muse of the greatest artists.
A few days before Christmas, Julie Depardieu kindly granted us a telephone interview. Available, ready to listen, and always enthusiastic, she spoke to us about these two shows which have the common point of placing classical music at the very heart of creation.
Julie Depardieu could not do without classical music and, whether on the airwaves of France Musique, where she hosted a column or, with us, on the telephone, she talks about it with the enthusiasm of enthusiasts.
Narrator of “The Nutcracker” for the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
On Wednesday January 4, Julie Depardieu will be on the stage of the Rainier III auditorium, at 3 p.m. for “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky. She will be the narrator, accompanied by six musicians and sand artist Katerina Barsukova. “It will be the first time. I’m very happy because I love The Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky. I’m eager to ! »
Coming to Monaco is always a pleasure for the actress who knows Didier de Cottignies, the artistic delegate of the Philharmonic Orchestra, very well. “He was in Paris, at the Salle Pleyel, before, and he brought me into a lot of concerts! Even when there were no seats, he let me sit on a stair step. I was too happy! she named us. As she keeps saying, Julie Depardieu is “obsessed with classical music concerts”. In the past, she even went abroad to attend concerts. Tchaikovsky is also one of her favorite composers, whom she never tires of listening to. “I love the symphonies n°4, n°5 and n°6 but also the Barcarolles and especially those of June. Tchaikovsky was my idol for a very long time”. She even confessed to us that when she had to cry for a scene on a movie set, she would put “a little bit of Tchaikovsky at a specific moment and the tears would come straight up! “. The life of this Russian composer who tried to “transcend his suffering into something universal” has always upset her. She can’t wait to see Kirill Serebrennikov’s film, “Tchaikovsky’s Wife”, at the cinema.
“Misia Sert, Queen of Paris” at the Princess Grace Theater
At the moment, Julie Depardieu is on tour with “Misia Sert, Reine de Paris”, which had been interrupted by the health crisis. A show that is particularly close to his heart. “One day, I came across flautist Juliette Hurel by chance at France Musique. It was she who suggested that I take part in this show with her pianist friend Hélène Couvert. Before, I didn’t like the flute so much and now I listen to it with great pleasure. I immediately recognize Juliette when she is on the radio. I spend my time changing my mind! »
With this show, Julie Depardieu invites us to discover a character who was known for almost fifty years at the beginning of the century and who fell into oblivion. She wrote a book but unfortunately it is no longer published. “Misia Sert had a great talent as a pianist but she preferred to marry her cousin who had founded the Blanche magazine in which all the artists wanted to appear. She met all the great writers. She was very beautiful and she was painted very often by many painters. She is in all the museums of the world but she is not known in France! She was a muse for many artists, writers, composers, painters. Divorced from her first husband, she then married a very rich man and she became patron. She did the French taste. Women like that don’t exist anymore ! “In the show, the musicians perform works that all have a link with Misia Sert (works that she commissioned or that were dedicated to her, for example) while Julie Depardieu recounts the life of this exceptional woman, who was immersed in culture from her childhood.
When she was offered this show, very excited at first, the actress wanted to write the text herself, then she realized that it would be too difficult a job for her. She therefore appealed to her friend, the writer Yann Moix who directed her to Baptiste Rossi for help. “He’s the one who is now writing Emmanuel Macron’s speech! she told us. With Juliette Hurel and Hélène Couvert, they have learned a lot about Misia Sert. Julie Depardieu is full of anecdotes about Misia Sert and it is a pleasure to listen to her tell us about it. “Mallarmé was crazy about her. Their houses were side by side. I believe he wrote everything to her contact because she played the piano next to him all day. I think she had a lot of charm. She lived in a brilliant period, with a freedom, an extraordinary madness! »
In this show, the public will not only discover an unjustly forgotten woman but also hear very talented musicians. “I must have been on stage for ‘Misia Sert’ for thirty times and it’s always a pleasure to hear the prelude to Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun! I think this show is a great entry for those who are a little scared at the idea of attending a classical music concert. Moreover, the spectators who have already seen it, are delighted and want to know more about this woman.
Soon on television in season 4 of “Alexandra Ehle” and in the cinema in the new film by Arielle Dombasle
In 2023, Julie Depardieu will continue the tour of “Misia Sert”. After Monaco, she will notably be on January 6 in Marseille at the Toursky theatre.
We will see it too on France 3 in season 4 of “Alexandra Ehle”, a series much appreciated by viewers, in which she plays a somewhat whimsical doctor. “Recently, an episode was broadcast during a World Cup match and we managed to do better than football! Of course, it wasn’t the final,” she jokingly told us. “I’m not making too many plans, we’ll see until when I do the series.. . In any case, for the moment, the public is delighted to see her in this role!
For the cinema, she has just shot in Arielle Dombasle’s last film as a director, “The Secrets of the Princess of Cadignan”, according to Balzac. She is the best friend of the princess played by Arielle Dombasle. “I will help her financially and throw parties for her. This is one of the rare Balzac novels that ends well! »
“The Nutcracker” at the Rainier III auditorium on Wednesday January 4 at 3 p.m. Information: www.opmc.mc
“Misia Sert, Queen of Paris” at the Princess Grace theater on Thursday January 5 at 8 p.m. Information: www.tpgmonaco.mc