Variations Classiques
2025
Edition 2025 — Finished
Edition 2025 — Variations Classiques
For its 8th edition, Variations Classiques has given carte blanche to composer and conductor Alexandre Gasparov, in partnership with the La Filiale Fantôme company, for a unique cine-concert event at Bonlieu Scène nationale: "Modeste le petit pion," an initiatory musical tale inspired by Peter and the Wolf, featuring a film by François-Xavier Rouyer and narration by Romain Daroles.
A streamlined edition with a single event
Following the 7th edition in January 2024 (featuring dance and music with Mourad Merzouki), Variations Classiques is changing its format for 2025: instead of a season spread across the winter, there will be a single evening, co-produced with Bonlieu Scène nationale. On November 24, 2025, the La Filiale Fantôme company and composer Alexandre Gasparov presented "Modeste le petit pion," a cine-concert for twelve musicians that follows the epic journey of a simple pawn on the chessboard of life, in the tradition of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.
Programme
Monday, November 24, 2025
- 7:00 PM — "Modeste le petit pion," cine-concert by La Filiale Fantôme and Alexandre Gasparov · Bonlieu Scène nationale, Grande salle (reserved seating, duration approx. 1 hour, ages 8 and up)
Composition and musical direction: Alexandre Gasparov. Film: François-Xavier Rouyer, freely adapted from the libretto by Mathilde Maraninci. Actor-narrator: Romain Daroles. Orchestra of twelve musicians. Co-production: Bonlieu Scène nationale / Festival Variations Classiques. This is the only event scheduled by the festival for this edition.
Highlights
- Carte blanche for choreographer Mourad Merzouki (choreographer for the Paris 2024 Olympics)
- Collaboration with the Orchestre de Genève
- Film concert "Modeste le petit pion" by Alexandre Gasparov
- 7th edition of the festival at Bonlieu Scène nationale
Published by Valentin Contard, festival listings writer. Reviewed, corrected and approved by Christophe Contard, editor-in-chief. .