Book contents
- Messiaen in Context
- Composers in Context
- Messiaen in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Musical Examples
- Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Part I Mondial Messiaen
- Part II Messiaen and Theology
- Part III Composers, Performers, and Critics
- Chapter 17 Before ‘Le Cas’
- Chapter 18 Messiaen and Borrowing
- Chapter 19 Messiaen and Criticism
- Chapter 20 Messiaen as Organist of L’Église de la Sainte-Trinité
- Chapter 21 Messiaen and the Organ Recordings
- Chapter 22 ‘Un sens artistique très développé’
- Chapter 23 Pianism and Virtuosity in Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus
- Chapter 24 Messiaen as Orchestrator
- Part IV Concepts and Legacy
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 23 - Pianism and Virtuosity in Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus
from Part III - Composers, Performers, and Critics
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 November 2023
- Messiaen in Context
- Composers in Context
- Messiaen in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Musical Examples
- Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Part I Mondial Messiaen
- Part II Messiaen and Theology
- Part III Composers, Performers, and Critics
- Chapter 17 Before ‘Le Cas’
- Chapter 18 Messiaen and Borrowing
- Chapter 19 Messiaen and Criticism
- Chapter 20 Messiaen as Organist of L’Église de la Sainte-Trinité
- Chapter 21 Messiaen and the Organ Recordings
- Chapter 22 ‘Un sens artistique très développé’
- Chapter 23 Pianism and Virtuosity in Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus
- Chapter 24 Messiaen as Orchestrator
- Part IV Concepts and Legacy
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter examines Messiaen’s pianistic techniques and virtuosity in Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus (1944). In particular, it focusses on Yvonne Loriod, who gave the first performance of the work at the Salle Gaveau in March 1945 at the age of only twenty-one, and whose phenomenal virtuosity enabled Messiaen to explore new complexities of musical thought and pianistic expression. It demonstrates how Messiaen’s pianistic style can be understood as part of a tradition reaching back to Chopin, Liszt, and Mussorgsky, while also exploring its parallels in Albéniz and Ravel.
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- Messiaen in Context , pp. 207 - 220Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023