Isabelle O’Connell
pianist
Olivier Messiaen: Visions de l’Amen
Isabelle O’Connell, piano
Laura Barger, piano
Friday May 29th, 2009 @ 1.10pm
Cork School of Music
Saturday May 30th, 2009 @ 3pm
- Admission is free -
December 2008 marked the centenary of the birth of Olivier Messiaen, undoubtedly one of the great musical figures of the 20th century. To celebrate, Dublin-born pianist Isabelle O'Connell and American pianist Laura Barger brought his two-piano masterpiece “Visions de l’Amen” to life in a New York concert last year. Now they are bringing their performance of this work to Irish audiences with two special concerts on Friday, May 29th at 1pm at the Cork School of Music and on Saturday, May 30th at 3pm, at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. These concerts have been made possible with funding from the Arts Council.
Filled with ecstatic emotional intensity and vivid keyboard colors, “Visions de l’Amen” was written in 1943. This followed Messiaen’s release from a prisoner-of- war camp in 1941 and the work was written for the phenomenal 19-year-old pianist Yvonne Loriod (his student, later to become his second wife). The work was premiered in Occupied Paris with Loriod playing piano one and Messiaen himself playing piano two. According to the composer’s notes in the score, the first piano
part has “the rhythmic difficulties, the bunches of chords, everything concerned with speed, allure, and quality of sound” while the second piano gets “the principal melody, the thematic elements, everything demanding emotion and power.”
In these performances Isabelle O'Connell will play piano one and Laura Barger will play piano two. The combination of Christian mysticism, kaleidoscopic keyboard colours and birdsong make for an exhilarating musical experience.
For further media information and photos please contact:
Sinead Meaney - Dublin: E : sineadmeaney@gmail.com / T : 086 881 3393
Gabriela Mayer - Cork: E : gabriela.mayer@cit.ie
The concerts will take place at:
Friday May 29th at 1pm
Cork School of Music
Union Quay
Cork
Saturday May 30th at 3pm
The Shaw Room
National Gallery of Ireland
Merrion Square
Dublin 2
ADMISSION IS FREE
Running time: 1 hour
Visions de l’Amen
1. Amen de la Création
2. Amen des étoiles, de la planète à l'anneau
3. Amen de l’Agonie de Jésus
4. Amen du Désir
5. Amen des Anges, des Saints, du chant des oiseaux
6. Amen du Jugement
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7.Amen de la Consommation
This presentation is funded by the Arts Council
Additional support provided by
the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition
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