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A man's singing stands out; he does not utter words as such, but rather onomatopoeic sounds that allow us to imagine the harshness of the work in progress. Then other workers' voices join him, along with the sounds of the work in progress, revealing a kind of musical canvas, a short but orderly form, as if pre-composed.
It was while working on this audio and photographic archive, captured in China on the banks of the Yangtze River in 2002 by my brother Maxence Rifflet, that we felt the desire to continue our long-standing collaboration on the links between images and music.
Today, we want to bring to the stage, in the form of a multidisciplinary project (music, video and photography, set design, staging, lighting, etc.), the question of the links that unite our disciplines through the prism of work and the sound and visual worlds it creates.
Work songs historically encompass the songs of porters, laborers, blacksmiths, and other manual workers, but by extension also include songs of revolt and the sounds of work itself.
We will create new sound material from these elements, which will interact with composed images in a dramatic construction, transforming the laborious act into a poetic gesture, the documentary recording into an artistic object.
Drawing on the resources offered by the support of the partner organizations involved in this project, we want to immerse ourselves in the region and get to know it through a series of weeks of meetings, collecting and recording before embarking on the actual creative phase.
This project, rooted in the territories of the partner structures, will combine local immersion and in-situ artistic performances with a view to creating two projects: a light-hearted duo, which can be performed on tour, and the final version of the show.
Mentions
Production
MAGRIFF
Co-production
, Théâtre Durance (National Theater, Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban); Théâtre de Cornouaille (National Theater, Quimper); Théâtre du Bois de L’Aune (Aix-en-Provence);
Project supported by
, La Coopérative — Réseau pour la création musicale, and DRAC PACA
Biography(s)
Sylvain Rifflet
saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer
A sound explorer and key figure in contemporary jazz, Sylvain Rifflet is a French saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer with a rich and daring career. A graduate of the Paris Conservatory and winner of the La Défense competition, he appears regularly on the European jazz scene alongside major artists such as Henri Texier, Louis Sclavis, Aldo Romano, Kenny Wheeler, Jon Irabagon, Pascal Schumacher, and Verneri Pohjola.
Winner of a Victoire du Jazz award and a Django d'Or, and voted French musician of the year 2024 by Jazz Magazine and Jazz News, he embodies a generation of musicians who are reinvesting in the language of jazz, between tradition and modernity. An inspired composer, Sylvain Rifflet cultivates a pronounced taste for repetitive and minimalist music, infusing his creations with a hypnotic and cinematic dimension. Since his first album Alphabet (2011), his musical universe has expanded through original projects: Perpetual Motion – A Celebration of Moondog (2014), Mechanics (2015), Refocus (2017), Troubadours (2019), and Rebellions (2020), both of which won awards from the Académie Charles Cros. In 2021, he responded to a commission from the Philharmonie de Paris and began a series of concerts with Remember Stan Getz, a vibrant tribute to one of his main musical influences. More recently, he has continued his musical explorations with Dooble (2023), in collaboration with electronic musician Philippe Gordiani, andWe Want Stars (2024), the first opus of a unique trio with Bettina Kee (keyboards) and Vincent Taeger (drums).
An artist associated with several national venues and festivals (Jazz au fil de l'Oise, Banlieues Bleues, Théâtre de Cornouaille, Paul B., etc.), Sylvain Rifflet has developed a unique musical aesthetic, combining free improvisation, immersive sound textures, and hypnotic rhythms.
Driven by an adventurous vision of jazz, he continues to push the boundaries of the genre, between exploration, trance, and sound poetry.
Work Songs
Sylvain Rifflet, Maxence Rifflet
Distribution
Sylvain Rifflet
: concept, composition, tenor saxophone, clarinets, shruti box, visuals
Maxence Rifflet
: design, photography, video, and 16 mm film
Verneri Pohjola
, trumpet
Bettina Kee
modular synthesizer and vocals
Csaba Palotaï
, guitar
Benjamin Flament
, percussion and drums (Flamentophone)
Céline Grangey
, sound
Maxime Baron
light
On tour
2027
March 25, 2027 —Performance:Studiode l’Ermitage (Paris — 75)
March 23, 2027 —Performance: LUX Scène Nationale (Valence — 26)
March 22, 2027 —Performance: Théâtre du Bois de L’Aune (Aix-en-Provence — 13)
Feb. 13, 2027 — Performance: Théâtre de Cornouaille, National Theater – (Quimper — 29)
Jan. 26, 2027 — PREMIERE — Théâtre Durance, National Theater – (Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban — 04)
2026
Oct. 29 — Nov. 3, 2026 — Recording of the album *Work Songs* – Maison de la Culture d’Amiens, Gil Evans Studio – (Amiens — 80)
Oct. 23–28, 2026 — Residency:Théâtrede Cornouaille, National Theater – (Quimper — 29)
Aug. 31 — Sept. 4, 2026 – Residency: Théâtre Durance, National Theater – (Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban — 04)
June 1–5, 2026 – Residency: Théâtre de Cornouaille, National Theater (Quimper — 29)
March 30–April 3, 2026 – Residency: Théâtre de Cornouaille, National Theater (Quimper — 29)
March 9–13, 2026 – Residency: Théâtre Durance Scène nationale (Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban — 04)
January 12–16, 2026 –Residency: Théâtre Durance Scène nationale (Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban — 04)
2025
December 8–12, 2025 — Residency: Théâtre du Bois de L’Aune (Aix-en-Provence — 13)
Useful links