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Web Press
LA CROIX (FR) | 08/05/2026 – Emmanuelle Giuliani
“[…] Magnificently illuminated and the result of meticulous, millimetre-precise work, Locura nevertheless offers the spectator an exhilarating sense of freedom, even of improvisation—an aesthetic quality inherent both to the Baroque spirit and to contemporary expression. Without imposing any particular message, Mourad Merzouki, Franck-Emmanuel Comte, and their team persuade us that, far from opposing one another, artistic languages have much to share across centuries and geographical boundaries, as long as they are approached with seriousness, elegance, and imagination.”
CONCERTCLASSIC.COM (FR) | 11/05/2026 – Laurent Bury
“Instead of settling for a crude overlay, this new production makes a genuine effort to bring music and dance together […]. For this concert without sets, but where the lighting beautifully sculpts the space, the five dancers wear black and gold costumes, and their movements are carefully choreographed with a real sense of cohesion, harmony, and elegance. […] Led by Franck-Emmanuel Comte at the harpsichord, the seven instrumentalists of Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu each find opportunities to shine in turn, such as in the solo given to the percussionist, or in the duel during which the violinists find themselves perched on the dancers’ shoulders.”
TOTAL BAROQUE (FR) | 14/05/2026
“At the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, true to his spirit of artistic exploration,Franck-Emmanuel Comte and the musicians of his ensemble, Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu, presented Locura in collaboration with choreographer Mourad Merzouki and the Käfig Company. It was an exhilarating evening in which Baroque music and singing entered into dialogue with the rhythmic energy of hip-hop dance. Driven by inventive visual aesthetics and striking lighting design, this show centred on the theme of madness gradually won over the entire audience.”
BAROQUIADES (FR) | 18/05/2026 – Bruno Maury
“[…] The concept of dialogue is undoubtedly the most striking feature of this production. Indeed, it does not merely juxtapose hip-hop choreography with Baroque musical pieces: the singer as well as the instrumentalists of Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu take full part in the performance. The two violinists even immerse themselves in it with enthusiasm: they whirl about, moving like fencers along the length of the stage, where they pass by, carried on the dancers’ shoulders, while continuing to play their instruments unfazed. […] The result is both surprising and captivating, visually as well as musically. […]”