Vaille Qui Vivre

"Ma plus belle histoire d’amour", "Dis, quand reviendras-tu?", "L’Aigle noir" , "Nantes", "La solitude" and "Une petite cantate" are just some French chanteuse Barbara's greatest hits. 2017 marks the twentieth anniversary of her death.

Juliette Binoche, and the renowned pianist  Alexandre Tharaud, come together in Vaille que Vivre, a show created around their memories of Barbara. The show premièred on 23 July at the prestigious Festival d’Avignon.

Binoche and Tharaud both have a close and deep tie with the Grand-dame of the French chanson; a bond that has been forged over time, as Barbara has accompanied them throughout their lives. For this reason, and with the wish to pay a warm tribute filled with humility, they ask themselves about her absence, about the vacuum that the singer has left in their lives. They have chosen the texts and the music together in a simply staged yet hugely emotive show.

On stage, Juliette Binoche evokes Barbara by reciting texts that seek to bring her words to life from her unfinished autobiography Il était un piano noir. Tharaud accompanies Binoche to cast light on Barbara's music and its extreme richness through his performance on the piano, some in a minimalist spirit. A unique night to remember.