Susanne Kessel ,(piano)
Leon Milo (Electronics, Percussion and Compositions)
Markus Karas (organ)
Beethoven Festival Concert
Saturday, September 6th. 8 PM Cathedral Basilica,
"A hurdy-gurdy, bells, cars, trains, twitteringbirds,
voices, gongs and prayers..."
As part of the Beethoven Festival, Markus Karas (organ),
Susanne Kessel (piano) and Leon Milo (Electronics,
Percussion and Compositions) presented a concert
devoted to works of Olivier Messiaen.
A multi-faceted program in honor of Messiaen's 100th. year of birth including works by Debussy, Stockhausen, Kurtag, electronic and acoustic compositions by Leon Milo, among others complete this evening in a very personal portrait of this major French composer. The Bonner Munster cathedral with the great Klais organ is this the ideal venue for this concert.
Review of the concert in honor of Olivier Messiaen at the Bonn Cathedral.
By Guido Krawinkel
Bonn General-Anzeiger,
September 8, 2008.
The review, downloadable in PDF format (Please right-click to "save As..." on the link)
" A hurdy-gurdy, bells, cars, trains, twittering birds, voices, gongs and prayers the soundscapes with which the American composer and sound artist Leon Milo enriched the festival concert on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Olivier Messian in the Bonn Cathedral - were quasi leitmotifs that moved through the wellput together program.
The piano and organ works of Messiaen and a some of his pupils were also on the program which was presented with great concentration by Milo, together with the Bonn pianist Susanne Kessel and the Muenster organist Markus Karas. The result was an hour-and-a-half-long evening concert which was in
itself a work of art.
As introduction, bridge and atmospheric mood, Milo's soundscapes gave us more insight than any lengthy program notes could have. Sequences of closely dovetailed pieces contributed so much by their addition, that taken altogether, the evening was a total experience in which one could intuitively sense the connection.
Milo's Birdscape followed seamlessly after delicate garlands of sound from
"Alleluias Sereins" from "L'Ascension" by Messiaen, previously played by Markus
Karas with beautiful lightness, had ended. The latter appeared anew in sound and content as a perfectly logical continuation of "Regard de l'Etoile" from "Vingt Regards", which Susanne Kessel interpreted with a most intense buoyancy of sound. The audience listened to this approach to Messiaen in a concentrated manner and did not dare to disturb the sophisticated dramaturgy with coughing or applause. At the end though, the artists were rewarded by standing ovations.
A memorable concert that would have deserved a place in the main Beethoven Festival program.– A memorable concert that would have deserved a place in the main Beethoven Festival program."