Mark Steinbach performs Messiaen’s La Nativité

Описание: Mark Steinbach, University Organist and Senior Lecturer in Music will perform Oliver Messiaen’s "La Nativité du Seigneur, Neuf Méditations pour orgue" (The birth of the Lord, Nine Meditations for Organ), on the Hutchings-Votey pipe organ of 1903 in Sayles Hall, Sunday April 11 at 3:00pm.

The premiere of "La Nativité" took place February 27, 1936 in Paris with three separate performers, each performing three movements. Steinbach will perform the work in its entirety. This composition pre-dates the composer’s legendary "Quartet of the End of Time" (1941), but already displays Messiaen’s experiments with Greek and Hindu rhythms, color, timbre, modes of limited transposition, and birdsong, which all play important roles in his ouvré.

Movement Info:
La vierge et l'enfant (The Virgin and Child) 3:52
Les bergers (The Shepherds) 9:04
Desseins éternels (Eternal purposes) 14:48
Le verbe (The Word) 18:40
Les enfants de Dieu (The Children of God) 29:09
Les anges (The Angels) 32:29
Jésus accepte la souffrance (Jesus accepts suffering) 36:16
Les mages (The Magi) 40:31
Dieu parmi nous (God Among Us) 45:37

La Nativité du Seigneur, Neuf Méditations pour orgue (1935), Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

I.La Vierge et l’Enfant (The Virgin and the Child)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive. For unto us a child is born, for unto us a son is given. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; behold thy king cometh unto thee: he is just and lowly. (Isaiah; Zechariah)
II. Les Bergers (The shepherds)
Having found the babe lying in a manger, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God. (St. Luke)
III. Desseins éternels (Eternal purposes)
God, in His love, has predestinated us to be His adoptive children through Jesus Christ, to the praise of the glory of His grace. (Ephesians)
IV. Le Verbe (The Word)
The Lord said unto me, thou art my son. From his breast, before the dawn existed, He begat me. I am the image of the goodness of God, I am the Word of Life, that which was from the beginning.
(Psalms; Wisdom; St. John)
V. Les enfants de Dieu (The children of God)
To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God. God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father! (St. John; Galatians)
VI. Les Anges (The Angels)
A multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest’. (St. Luke)
VII. Jésus accepte la souffrance (Jesus accepts suffering)
Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith to his father: in sacrifice and offering thou hast no pleasure, but a body hast thou prepared me. Lo, I come. (Hebrews)
VIII.Les Mages (The Magi )
The wise men departed, and the star went before them. (St. Matthew)
X.Dieu parmi nous (God among us)
Words of the communicant, of the Virgin, of the whole Church: He that made me rested in my tabernacle. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my savior. (Ecclesiasticus; St. John; St. Luke)