Pierre-Laurent Aimard plays Messiaen “Le Catalogue d'oiseaux”

Synopsis

The “Catalogue d’oiseaux” (“Catalogue of Birds”) is one of the most important works by Olivier Messiaen. The composer wrote the 13 piano pieces between 1956 and 1958. What may sound at first like an ornithological reference work is one of the most unusual and brilliant piano works of its time. The French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard is the leading interpreter of Olivier Messiaen’s piano works. His interpretation of the “Catalogue d’oiseaux” is performed in the St. Canisius Church in Berlin. As a pupil of Messiaen’s second wife Yvonne Loriod at the Conservatoire de Paris, Pierre-Laurent Aimard already had musical and personal contact with Olivier Messiaen at an early age. As a 16-year-old, the exceptional pianist won the Messiaen Competition. Pierre-Laurent Aimard was awarded the Echo Klassik for his recording “Hommage à Messiaen”. Programme: from “Le Catalogue d’oiseaux”: Le traquet stapazin (The Western black-eared wheatear); Le courlis cendré (The Eurasian curlew); L’alouette calandrelle (The Greater short-toed lark); L’alouette lulu (The Woodlark); Le merle bleu (The Blue rock thrush)

Additional Info

• No: A05050870
• Composer: Olivier Messiaen
• Production year: 2022
• Run time: 00:50:00
• Producers: SWR, Arte
• Format: HDTV 16:9