BWW Reviews: Playful Piano & Puppetry in Debussy's 'La Boîte à Joujoux' at Castleton

The name Claude Debussy, for classical music lovers, evokes a veritable flood of gorgeous, complex harmonies and orchestral pieces so evocative of places and things - the sea, clouds, a fairground, etc.-that he was classified as an "Impressionist" composer for much of his career. Debussy hated the term, even though it spoke to the painterly approach he had to music; but he wanted to be known for more than just pretty pictures and soothing melodies. He also wanted audiences to appreciate his playful side.

In this he was not alone; his colleague and sometime friend Erik Satie (likewise famous for gorgeous harmonies) specialized in piano scores with the most bizarre notations I've ever seen; instead of the usual Italian terms, Erik would order you to "Play like a nightingale with a toothache" and then add caveats like "Careful; a monkey is watching you." Debussy was no stuffed shirt himself, and he loved dedicating music to children; his "Children's Corner" remains one of my personal favorites, and it is a joy to listen to.

To that classic, we can now add another wonderful discovery: Debussy wrote music for toys!

The Castleton Festival, a longtime fixture on the classical music scene located a comfortable hour and a half from Washington, DC, recently celebrated Debussy's playful side with a full performance of his piece for piano, La Boîte à Joujoux ("The Toy Box"). Originally published in 1913, Debussy collaborated with artist André Hellé who provided a scenario and watercolor images to accompany the music. The result is a series of vignettes or tableaux, with familiar toys romping around and getting into all sorts of strange situations. Punch, that rude British puppet, courts a ballerina, who is (of course) in love with a toy soldier; together they dream of life in the country, and of course there's a happy ending to wrap it all up.

Pianist Orion Weiss, working with Director Hinrich Horstkotte of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, was inspired to bring the music, scenario and images to life through a puppet show that incorporated all the toys from the original. Weiss and Horstkotte have created a wonderful afternoon's diversion with La Boîte à Joujoux; the proverbial "children of all ages" can join Weiss and puppeteers, listen to fun music and-in the case of the Salzburg troupe-watch grown men and women play gleefully with their toys. The puppets, to their credit, aren't the least interested in staying anywhere near their boxes, but insist on hanging out with Weiss at the piano when they're not cavorting elsewhere.

Weiss' career is relatively young but distinguished, and he handled the whole program with aplomb and a healthy sense of humor, introducing pieces for the younger audience members and telling us what drew him to the music. The Salzburg Marionette Theatre, for those who aren't familiar with it, has a distinguished history going back 100 years, and their productions of classics like "The Magic Flute" and "Alice and Wonderland" have delighted audiences all over Europe. It was the joint centennial, of both the company and Debussy's composition, that inspired this unique collaboration, and we have been fortunate to see artists working together and having such a great time.

The first half of the program featured pieces by Robert Schumann, beginning with a newly-choreographed puppet drama set to an early Schumann piano suite, Papillons ("Butterflies"). Drawing from a popular novel of the time, the story is a typical romantic triangle set at a fancy ball, with male protagonists both bold and shy competing for a girl's favors. The music was pleasant enough, but the juxtaposition of puppets in contemporary dress with puppet- waltzers in late-Baroque finery made it hard to follow the scenario. The skill with which these puppets were manipulated, however, was wonderful to watch even if I couldn't really follow the story.

The program continued with two Schumann pieces performed by Weiss alone-Blumenstück ("Flower Piece") and Novelette. Not only were they well done, but by opening the show with a puppet-play, the audience was invited to hear Schumann's music as a kind of narrative, with musical motifs heralding changes in the plotline. The effect was one that heightened the theatrical imagination of composer, musician and audience alike.

Castleton, founded by Maestro Lorin Maazel and his wife Dietlinde Turban Maazel in 2009, has been a showcase for classical music, theatre and opera that has rapidly developed a loyal following. The near-sellout audience I found at the Theatre House, in mid-November in the middle of the Appalachian countryside, speaks to the enduring impact of the Festival and Maazel's artistic vision. The program for Winter 2014-15 includes a wide variety of entertainments, from one-man shows to holiday band concerts, and is well worth the drive.

Running Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes, with one intermission.

Photo: The American touring company of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, from the company's homepage.

La Boîte à Joujoux was performed on Sunday, November 9 at the Theatre House at Castleton Farms, Castleton, VA.

For information about Castleton performances please visit: https://www.castletonfestival.org/

For tickets, call 866-974-0767, send an email to BoxOffice@castletonfestival.org , or visit: https://www.castletonfestival.org/schedule/month

For more information about the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, visit:

http://www.marionetten.at/

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