CARTER & MESSIÆN

A double centennial

Born only a day apart nearly a century ago (10 and 11 December 1908), the composers Elliott Carter and Olivier Messiæn have each made their mark as composers of vastly distinctive musical styles. In this centennial celebration, The Esoterics will perform seven works – five by Carter and two by Messiæn – the entire a cappella output from both of these composers.

From Carter’s works, the ensemble will perform four mid-century neo-classic choral pieces, including two setting of poems by Emily Dickinson – her crystalline Heart not so heavy as mine and her vigorous Musicians wrestle everywhere, as well as two settings of poems by Robert Herrick – his tender ode To music as well as his raucous Harvest home. In addition, a small ensemble of singers will perform Carter’s newest choral work, entitled Mad regales. This work, completed last year and premiered this summer at the Tanglewood Festival, sets three poems by John Ashbery, and is the first a cappella work Carter has composed in over 60 years. The Esoterics is excited about performing the West Coast premiere of this brand new, impish cycle by America’s most celebrated centenarian composer.

From Messiæn's choral oeuvre, The Esoterics will perform his sole sacred choral work, the transcendent motet O sacrum convivium, as well as one his legendarily virtuosic work, Cinq rechants. Scored for twelve solo voices, Cinq rechants is the final piece of Messiæn's Turangalila trilogy, three compositions that embrace the medieval tale of Tristan and Isolde, and the simultaneous fulfillment of love and death. For this mysterious work, Messiæn composed his own poetry that combines surrealistic French imagery with nonsense syllables borrowed from Sanskrit and Peruvian Quechua. In alternating verses and refrains that are rife with amorous myths - from Merlin and Viviane, Orpheus and Euridyce, Bluebeard and Ariadne, Perseus and the Medusa – the spirits warn the lovers that their night of passion will soon end.

Please join The Esoterics to celebrate and compare the genius of these composers at the centenary of their birth.

NOTE: The West Seattle concert on Sunday Dec 14th 3:00pm that was cancelled due to weather and road conditions has been rescheduled to 8pm, Jan 18th, 2009 at Queen Anne Christian Church.

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