Published in 1958, Catalogue d'oiseaux is Olivier Messiaen's most extensive work after his opera Saint François d'Assise, skillfully bringing together the three main elements of his compositional language: rhythm, the sound-color relationship, and birdsongs. The score is a compilation of birdsong transcriptions and descriptive elements of the landscape, posing a genuine interpretative challenge for any pianist delving into its study.
The Spanish pianist Gregorio Benítez — acclaimed by critics as an artist with a "hypnotic stage presence, possessing an extraordinary range of piano colors" — will present excerpts from Messiaen's Catalogue d’oiseaux, a milestone in 20th-century classical music. This is in celebration of the 100th birthday of pianist and muse Yvonne Loriod (1924–2010), who premiered this work 65 years ago.
The concert at the Place des Arts is also part of an international tour where Gregorio Benítez will perform the complete piano works of Olivier Messiaen.
Olivier MESSIAEN,
Extrait de "Catalogue d’oiseaux"
IV. Le traquet stapazin
VIII. L’Alouette calandrelle
VI. L’alouette lulu
II. Le loriot
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X. Le merle de roche
XIII. Le courlis cendré
XII. Le traquet rieur
