Événement

Ascension Organ Series/ Jon Gillock

We are proud to continue this distinguished series of concerts featuring The Complete Organ Works of Olivier Messiaen, played by Messiaen's friend and disciple, Jon Gillock.

According to Gillock, the Dyptique, composed in 1928 (or perhaps 1930) is composed of two panels and dedicated to Messiaen's teachers Marcel Dupré and Paul Dukas. The first movement, an homage to Dupré, evokes the harried pace of human life. The second movement, conversely, expresses a calm, serene eternity. This second movement was later arranged for violin and piano by Messiaen to form the final movement "Louange à l'Immortalité de Jésus" of the Quartet for the End of Time, premiered in 1941 in a German prison camp.

Les Corps Glorieux, 1939, was completed one week before France entered WWII, but not performed until 1945 when Messiaen played it at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. It is considered the culminating work of Messiaen's first compositional period. Subtitled, "Seven Short Visions of the Life of the Resurrected," it is one of Messiaen's most mystical compositions, describing quite vividly a vision of life after death.

Press and public alike proclaim American organist Jon Gillock for his sensitive and moving performances. Known for his ability to express and interpret the mystical and sublime, the deep and profound, to communicate with and move his audiences, he is especially fond of performing the "French spiritual repertoire".