Mignon is reminiscent of the Little Mermaid and Kaspar Hauser. Mignon communicates, walks and moves in a strange way and clings to rituals and compulsions.
In search of the essence of this mysterious, poignant character from Goethe's theatrical novel Wilhem Meisters Lehrjahre illustrator Gerda Dendooven, pianist Christel Kessels and soprano Judith Vindevogel inevitably bumped into the Mignon cycles of the great classical lieder composers Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann and Hugo Wolf. They found in it a complex creature far removed from the average 'cool' classical performances. Mignon is a vulnerable child that manages to move even the non-classical lover.
'Judith Vindevogel is the perfect person to give shape to the mysterious, impossible-to-grasp Mignon character.'
the Gentenaar
'Judith Vindevogel is a formidable stage personality. She sings the Mignon songs with crystalline intonation and rich expression.'
de Volkskrant
'In a world of chatter and bullshit (...) there must occasionally be room for roaring silence. (...)
Truthfulness does not pay. But she has to be there.'
Stephan Moens, De Morgen
'While Vindevogel and Kessels perform the songs, Gerda Dendooven adds rudimentary drawings by simple means. She works with a large paintbrush on long white rolls of paper, or with brush on a transparency and three overhead projectors. Finally the most breathtaking: with scissors on black papers lying on those same overhead projectors. The simplicity of the techniques contrasted with the enormous effect produced by the drawings. At the end of the show, those very simple, almost dancing human figures lingered on the walls. Matisse's 'La Danse' was not far away.(...) The rhythm with which the drawings grew blended very nicely with the course of the music, giving this short performance an enormously poetic atmosphere. A particularly poignant moment came when pianist Christel Kessels began to softly sing a song and Judith Vindevogel took over after half a stanza. Wonderful find, which unpretentiously showed what such musical theatre can offer more than an ordinary recital.'
Maarten Beirens, De Standaard
'Mignon is a very modest but intense performance. (...)
You don't need to know the character Mignon, Goethe's poems or the classical songs to be fascinated.'
Marleen Baeten, Etcetera
