Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus

Vingt Regards sur l' Enfant Jésus is a piano cycle by the French composer Olivier Messiaen. The French title translates as " Twenty views of the child Jesus ." The work cycle is regarded as one of the most important 20th century compositions for piano and at the same time as the culmination of Messiaen's compositions for keyboard instruments and was composed between 23 March and 8 September 1944 in Paris. The pianist Yvonne Loriod premiered on March 26, 1945 in Paris.

Included pieces

Included topics

The various themes run throughout the individual pieces leitmotiv -like and represent certain ideas

• Thème de Dieu ( " God 's" )
• Thème de l' étoile et de la Croix ( "Theme of the Star and the Cross" )
• Thème de l' amour mystique ( " theme of mystical love " )
• Thème d' accords ( " chord on" )
• Thème de danse orientale et plain chantesque ( "Topic of the eastern dance and choral singing " )
• Thème de joie ( "theme of joy " )
• 1er Thème ( " First Thread ", a last piece which is introduced by the composer topic)

The plant contains 20 pieces of all the need to show duration of about two hours. The musical meditations on the birth of Jesus Christ from a close nearly 15 years of working period in the theological symbolism played a key role. Vingt Regards sur l' inspiration to Enfant Jésus Roman took Messiaen, among others, from texts by John of the Cross, Thomas Aquinas, Columba Marmion and Theresa of Lisieux, as well as from the Gospels and the Missal.

Each of the 20 pieces is either a view of the baby Jesus or a contemplation of the child. The central aspect of the cycle is the union of human and divine nature in the form of Jesus. The chosen order of the tracks provides significant contrasts in tempo and intensity, but was probably chosen for symbolic reasons: as occurs in every fifth piece, but also in the sixth and eleventh, the " God issue " on. For example, the Trinity ( 1 "Father ", 5 "Son ", 10 "Holy Spirit " ) is illustrated. Thus, the " theme of God " is the central theme of the cycle. The " theme of mystical love " appears in the plays of 6, 19 and 20 A number symbolism is revealed about the fact that the piece "look of the Cross" in seventh place and "look of Angels" fourteenth point is ( Holy Number 7, the 14 as the duplication). The " chord on" the basis of all pieces. It is by Messiaen a " complex of sounds intended for constant variation, as a result of abstract pre-existent, it can be seen very concrete and easy to his colors. " Messiaen processed numerous rhythmic canons, polymodal points and irreversible rhythms, increased in both directions, progressively accelerated or slowed time values ​​, asymmetric enlargement, changes in register, etc. in addition, the composer uses many different bird songs in this work, which occur literally in part.

Few pianists playing today the complete cycle in the concert hall, will instead be individually assembled consequences of individual pieces are preferred in which can be demonstrated effectively Messiaen richness of expression and piano stylistics.