Signed Photograph "en souvenir des Visions de l'Amen"

Signed original Herbert Breslin of NY photograph of the important French composer and his wife, the pianist Yvonne Loriod, both of whom have inscribed in black felt tip to the lower margin, in memory of their concert in Boston.  Messiaen has inscribed "À Paul Mac-Mahon - en souvenir des Visions de l'Amen — Olivier Messiaen," while Loriod has written "Pour Paul Mac-Mahon, / un souvenir du concert Mozart, Debussy, et Messiaen à Boston / Yvonne Loriod / 1.11.1970."  Stamped by the photographer on the verso. In very fine condition.  10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm.).

Visions de l'Amen ("Visions of the Amen") is a suite of seven pieces for two pianos by Messiaen, commissioned for the Concerts de la Pléiade held during the German occupation of Paris and composed in 1943 for the composer and Yvonne Loriod. According to Messiaen's "author's note" attached to the original score, the work takes its inspiration from a quote of Ernest Hello: "Amen, word of Genesis, which leads to Revelation; Amen, word of Revelation, which is the consummation of Genesis". Messiaen gives four basic interpretations of Amen: "It is done", "So be it, according to thy will", "In the hope, the desire, that I may freely give and freely receive", "It is so, world without end". He describes the music as seven musical visions which reflect the living beings who say "Amen" in gratitude for their existence.

Yvonne Loriod met Olivier Messiaen while studying harmony.  He "was quick to recognize her extraordinary musical abilities, and in the early months of 1943 wrote his two-piano work Visions de l'Amen, in which he took creative account of her particular technical strengths, incorporating into her part, that for the first piano, 'the rhythmic difficulties, the chord clusters, everything which is velocity, charm and sound quality', while reserving for himself 'the principal melodic material, the thematic elements, everything which demands emotion and power'.  From then on, she was the muse not only for his piano works but for most of his orchestral ones as well – as he said in late life, 'I'm married to a great pianist and I always imagine her in the midst of the orchestra.' (Roger Nichols, The Guardian)

From the collection of Paul McMahon, a critic, photographer and artist who worked for more than 13 years touring with Marlene Dietrich as the icon’s stage manager, announcer, dresser, secretary and escort, and later spent 25 years as an arts and entertainment reviewer and photographer with Gay Community News, Esplanade, Tommy’s Connection, The Mirror, Bay Windows and other publications. (20797)

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Signed Photograph

Signature

Classical Music

$1,500.00

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