Vingt Regards

Just a quick note on an interesting concert I just attended. The brother of one of my colleagues here in the classics programme played Messiaen's "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jesus ["20 Looks at You Know Who"]. What an amazing work it is. It is 20 movements and takes something over 2 hours to be played. It is a work out for a solo pianist.

The various movements recreate the effect of the movements of the stars, the tender look of The Virgin at her baby, the quiet omnipresence of God, the Son gazing upon the Son. Inverted rainbows are to be found. So are inverted lightnings. Amazing.

The pianist, Read Gainsford (who teaches piano at Florida State [I think] in Tallahasee) played like the god that is needed for this piece. He has delicacy, power and awesome intelligence.

Seeing this piece was a treat and while I am not a Xian, I nonetheless find the sprituality of this piece honest and most assuredly not cloying. I like Messiaen better and better all the time.