Paris (AFP) – An obsession with grandeur and experiences: With his first concert in Place de la Concorde on the National Holiday of France on July 14, 1979, Jean-Michel Jarre entered the Guinness Book of Records with over a million spectators.
The pioneer of electricity played the role of the pyramids of Giza with a stunning light show for the millennium celebrations. Early this year, the French multimedia artist will pluck his laser strings at the world-famous Notre Dame in Paris – both live and virtual.
The first images give a preview of the December 31 live-action party: rays fall left and right into a 35-meter-high saucer; The medieval color play of magnificent stained-glass windows is mesmerizing. Just like before the devastating fire that destroyed the historic Paris Cathedral on April 15 and 16, 2019.
The three-dimensional reconstruction of the Gothic church is designed before a major fire broke out for the symbol of Christianity, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1991. Right in the middle: My neighbor as an avatar, who plays live pieces from his album “Electronica” as well as his most famous song “Oxygène” and “Equinoxe” in a revised version.
“Welcome to the Other Side” is the name of the 45-minute virtual concert event created in cooperation with Paris and UNESCO, whose neighbor has been the Goodwill Ambassador since 1993. As such, his concert should also convey a message. “In these difficult times, the event is a message of hope and honor for Notre Dame, who has weakened our ideals,” the 72-year-old musician and composer said in a telephone interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Paris.
Jarre will perform live from 23:25 in a studio not far from Notre Dame, while his Avatar will perform at the virtual cathedral at the same time. A technical challenge that more than 100 people have worked on. Because it was about connecting the studio’s real world to the virtual world via Jarre’s graphic form. The event is free and can be accessed on Facebook and YouTube social media platforms, as well as on the City of Paris website and the VRChat virtual reality app. It is also broadcast live on the French radio station France Inter and on the BFMTV television station.
For the first time, a neighbor appeared as an avatar a few months ago in “Fête de la Musique” on June 21. The musician doesn’t like to remember that. He said in the conversation that this was a bad experience. He only had three weeks. “Alone Together” is the name of a virtual live concert supported by the French Ministry of Culture.
Jar believes in virtual reality as a complete expression in itself. Virtual reality is today for live shows, when cinema was in its infancy compared to theater. “When cinema was invented 125 years ago, the actors weren’t actually acting or speaking in front of an audience,” he said.
Does he want to go from being a pioneer in electronic music to a pioneer in virtual reality parties? He replied, “When I started my compositions for the boat, I was opening new horizons. It was exciting and fun. I have that feeling now too.” It’s also fascinating and confusing to him how quickly he forgot the avatar aspect and immersed himself in the virtual world.
Giant’s Obsession and Experiences: Jar is known worldwide for its huge high-tech concerts. In 1986, on the occasion of the visit of Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005, he gave an impressive performance in Lyon, where the French first discovered the laser guitar.
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