Joseph Adam, St. James Cathedral’s organist, is the driving force behind the complete cycle of Olivier Messiaen’s organ music being played at St. James and St. Mark’s Cathedral this year. The cycle commemorates the 100 year anniversary of the composer’s birth. Messiaen’s organ music is among the composer’s most personal, reflective, and difficult music.
Earlier this month, Joseph Adam sat down with me to talk about Messiaen’s organ music and how the idea to play Messiaen’s complete organ music came into being. As Adam points out, it is not the first time Messiaen’s cycle has been played in Seattle, but it is the first time the cycle is being played across two different venues and with four, local organists.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIWUwg1u-jQ]
The remaining concerts in the Messiaen series are:
October 24, 2008 at St. Mark’s Cathedral
November 7, 2008 at St. James Cathedral
November 21, 2008 at St. Mark’s Cathedral
November 24, 2008 at St. James Cathedral
December 7, 2008 at St. James Cathedral
Complete information about the cycle can be found here.
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