By Uwe Scholz
In The Creation, Uwe Scholz Uwe Scholz transforms Joseph Haydn’s monumental oratorio into a powerful ballet inspired by the Book of Genesis and devoted to the birth of the world.
From chaos to light, from the rise of nature to the appearance of humanity, the work unfolds as a vast foundational tale, carried by music of remarkable power and clarity that fills the theatre and draws the audience in. Deeply guided by faith, Haydn offers a luminous score, driven by a profound sense of grandeur and hope.
JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE, Sans titre, 1965, oil on canvas, 63.5 cm, round © Succession Jean-Paul Riopelle / CARCC Ottawa 2026
On stage, Scholz’s choreography, both rigorous and richly textured, embraces Haydn’s vision through a series of meticulously crafted scenes. Blending classical ballet with contemporary movement, the work is further enriched by projections of paintings by the great Québécois artist Jean Paul Riopelle.
Carried by Les Grands Ballets Orchestra, the choir, and three soloists, Andréanne Brisson-Paquin (soprano), Philippe Gagné (tenor), and Clayton Kennedy (bass), the dancers embody elemental forces, symbolic figures, and the first humans. By turns powerful and restrained, The Creation emerges as a work of striking scale, where music, dance, and visual art come together to move and inspire.
This ensemble comprises 55 highly skilled musicians and soloists. Our orchestra has been playing a major role in the success of Les Grands Ballets for over 30 years.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Total duration: 1h48
Part I: 46 minutes
Intermission: 20 minutes
Part II: 42 minutes
LES GRANDS BALLETS
(in order of appearance)
ACT I
Sans titre, 1965, Oil on canvas, 63.5 cm, round
Cercle, 1965, Oil on canvas, 150 cm in diameter. Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris.
Paradisier, 1967, Litho collage mounted on canvas, 100 x 81 cm, SDB Riopelle. Provenance: Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York.
Sans titre, 1967, Litho collage mounted on canvas, 491 x 263 cm in three panels. Public collection: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
Sans titre, 1967, Litho collage mounted on canvas, 491 x 263 cm.
Sans titre, 1967, Litho collage mounted on canvas, 491 x 263 cm.
Sans titre, 1967, Litho collage mounted on canvas, 491 x 263 cm.
Sans titre, 1968, Pastel on paper, 38.5 x 84 cm, SBD Riopelle. Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris.
Les oiseaux s'envolent Monsieur Marquet, 1972, Acrylic on paper mounted on canvas, 306 x 670 cm, triptych. Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris.
Sans titre, c. 1974, View from the window of the Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies studio, sanguine and charcoal on paper, 50 x 65 cm.
Les 4 chaises, 1975–1976, Mixed media on paper mounted on canvas, 152 x 507.5 cm, triptych.
Sans titre, 1955, Watercolour and ink on paper, 26 x 75 cm, SBD Riopelle 55.
ACT II
Sans titre, 1966, Gouache on hammered wood (Mexican paper), 39 x 27.5 cm, SDB R 66.
Sans titre, 1966, Oil on canvas, 50 x 50 cm, SDB Riopelle. Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris.
En parade, 1966–1967, Oil on canvas, 162 x 129.5 cm, SDB Riopelle 67. Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris.
Sans titre, c. 1967, Oil pastel and ink on paper, 23.8 x 15 cm, SBD R.
Sans titre, c. 1968, Oil on canvas, 200 x 300 cm.
Sans titre (PM 6), 1968, Oil on wood, 34 x 16.5 cm, SBD R. Provenance: Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York.
Hibou-Snow Flake, 1970, Oil on canvas, 100.3 x 72.5 cm. Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris.
Les rois de Thulé, 1973, Mixed media on paper, 59 x 49 cm, SBD Riopelle 73.
A Field, 1974, Oil on canvas, 162 x 130 cm, SBD Riopelle.
Sans titre n 12, 1975, Pastel on paper, 67 x 44.5 cm, SBD Riopelle 75.
Inuit, 1977, Oil on canvas, 82 x 101 cm, SBD Riopelle.
L'Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, 1992, Mixed media on canvas, 1.52 x 40 m, triptych. Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
Abrité, 1973, Oil on canvas, 130.8 x 195.6 cm, SBD Riopelle.
Sans titre, 1971, Pastel on paper, 66 x 50 cm, SBD Riopelle.
Sans titre, c. 1967, India ink on paper, 51 x 66 cm. Each element composing the drawing is signed with an “R”.
Renard qui mange, 1971, Acrylic on lithograph mounted on canvas, 160 x 120 cm.
Départ pour, 1967, Litho collage mounted on canvas, 98 x 130 cm, SBD Riopelle 67. Provenance: Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York.
Bleu, 1966, Oil on canvas, 81 x 100 cm, SDB Riopelle 66. Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris.
Versombreuse, 1946, Decalcomania, oil on paper, 28 x 22 cm.
Sans titre, 1949–1950, Oil on canvas, 35 x 27 cm, SBD R 49, work signed and dated in 1988.
Bijoux Broyés, 1955, Oil on canvas, 41.1 x 33.2 cm, SBD Riopelle.
