EVOLUTION

The 12th edition of the Messiaen Festival in La Meije 2009, “The Temptation of Exotism”, was crowned with success.
After the tribute to the composer’s centenary in 2008, the 2009 Festival presented a new dimension of Olivier Messiaen’s work, with a musical quality always assured. The new generation of musicians invited was able to convey the exotism from a rich and varied music around the majestic La Meije peak, to please, an always bigger audience.
Among the great moments that are to be remembered:

• Creations by Patrick Burgan, Bruno Mantovani and Susumu Yoshida which, thanks to the quality of the preparation and the performance, were successful.

• The performance of Pelléas and Mélisande, which thanks to a great staging by Vincent Vittoz, and its’ main singers’ performance, Karen Vourc’h playing Mélisande, Marc Mauillon playing Pelléas et Didier Henry playing Golaud. Plus, Anne Le Bozec’s impressive musical command of the piano.

• The performance of Outre Mémoire, by Thierry Pécou for the ensemble Zellig and David Greilsammer was also a moment of intense emotion?
  

The Festival from the beginning:

1998: Messiaen Festival
1999: Messiaen and Music from India
2000: Messiaen and songs from the Middle-Ages
2001: Messiaen and Japan
2002: Messiaen and the Mountain
2003: Birds’ Music
2004: Messiaen and America
2005: Music from the Thirties in Movement
2006: At the Beginning was Rhythm
2007: The Spiritual and Music
2008: Music Giant
2009: The Temptation of Exotism
2010: Boulez/Messiaen, an eventful filiation