Paris — The Paris Opera’s Palais Garnier has unveiled an experimental new work honoring the multifaceted legacy of Josephine Baker, the American-born entertainer and French Resistance figure. The piece, titled “Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine,” opened the Paris Opera’s season on Wednesday and will continue to run through September 19.

Composed and performed by American musician Tyshawn Sorey, the work offers an impressionistic and nontraditional exploration of Baker’s life and legacy, moving beyond familiar cabaret portrayals. Baker, who moved to France in the 1920s and later became a French citizen, is widely recognized for both her vibrant stage presence and her activism, including her role in the French Resistance during World War II and her efforts against racial discrimination. In 2021, Baker became the first Black woman inducted into the Panthéon, France’s national monument honoring notable figures.

“Perle Noire” was developed in collaboration with soprano Julia Bullock, director Peter Sellars, and poet Claudia Rankine, with the latter providing spoken text. The piece first premiered in 2016 at the Ojai Music Festival in California under the title “Josephine Baker: A Portrait,” before evolving into its current, more experimental form. Sorey described the work as intentionally deconstructing simplified or essentialized views of Baker, presenting instead a complex emotional and musical landscape.

Bullock, who shares a hometown with Baker in St. Louis, Missouri, emphasized the project’s deeper engagement with the singer’s activism and image management. She noted that her earlier recital programs had addressed themes of objectification and exoticism faced by Black women, a context that informed the new work. Rankine, initially hesitant to join the project, stated that her interest grew after researching Baker’s conscious construction of her public persona.

Among the highlights is a slowed and introspective reinterpretation of Baker’s song “Si J’Etais Blanche” (“If I Were White”). Sorey highlighted the importance of the lyrics and their interplay with the music, aiming to prompt audiences to listen closely to the message.

“Perle Noire” maintains a fluid structure, incorporating improvisation and variable performances. At the Palais Garnier rehearsal, Sorey and the ensemble, which includes members of the International Contemporary Ensemble, demonstrated adaptability in their interpretation, with Bullock noting that the dynamic nature of the work allows for varying expressions from one performance to the next.

Paris Opera director Alexander Neef, who saw the work at the Dutch National Opera in 2023, commissioned the production for the Palais Garnier, highlighting the venue’s historical connections to early 20th-century avant-garde movements and its symbolic resonance with Baker’s career. Neef also cited the theater’s intimate scale as a fitting context for the piece.

Bullock described the Palais Garnier as a richly decorated but imposing setting, with Marc Chagall’s colorful ceiling fresco adding a contrasting uplifting element to the space. She affirmed that “Perle Noire” was well suited to the theater, echoing the layered complexity of both Baker’s life and the venue’s artistic heritage.

Following its Paris run, the production is scheduled to be presented at London’s Barbican Centre on October 20.