Siobhan Stagg & Timothy Young: Pierre Boulez Saal

About the Event

In this highly‐anticipated concert, hear the mellifluous sounds of chamber music by Messiaen, Debussy and Duparc at Berlin's treasured and world‐renowned Pierre Boulez Saal.

Newly married in 1936, Olivier Messiaen wrote nine poems entitled 'Mi' for his first wife Claire Delbos — songs of heavenly love and gratitude, but also of doubt and reverence for the sacrament of marriage, which was sacred to Messiaen as a Catholic. Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg and pianist Timothy Young, both first‐time guests at the Pierre Boulez Hall, will put Poèmes pour Mi at the centre of their programme. The programme also includes works by Claude Debussy, one of Messiaen's great role models, and by Henri Duparc, whose melodies had a major influence on the emergence of this specifically French variant of the art song in the second half of the 19th century.

Pierre Boulez Saal

The Pierre Boulez Hall is the hall of the Barenboim‐Said Academy. Designed by Frank O. Geary, the hall opened in March 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The hall was named in tribute to French conductor and composer Pierre Boulez, a name suggested by the Argentinian‐Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim. Despite being essentially a chamber venue, the structure has a cuboid shape that can accommodate medium‐sized orchestras, and up to 682 visitors. Architect and musicians alike seek to offer a 360 degree perspective on music, combining styles, cultures and viewpoints in the space.