St. Louis, MO – The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra are pleased to announce the first performance in the Portrait Concert Series at the Pulitzer, held in relation to the current installation Portrait/Homage/Embodiment.
The concert features a performance on Monday, November 13th at 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm). The program will consist of Visions de l’Amen by Olivier Messaien and will be performed by Peter Henderson on piano I and Jeremy Denk on piano II.
As with the majority of Olivier Messiaen’s body of work, this work is closely tied to his devout Catholicism and pays homage to God. Each of the seven “Amens” describes a different type of awe or praise for the creator – some serene, some ecstatic, some sensuous, and some brutal. However, as much as this work is an homage to God, it is also an homage to Yvonne Loriod, a woman who would become Messiaen’s muse and even later his wife.
The exhibition, Portrait/Homage/Embodiment, explores the ways in which modern and contemporary artists have represented individuals or referenced groups of people. In addition to new takes on traditional portraiture, artworks on view also explore different ways to convey the presence of an individual. In the context of the Pulitzer building, the installation attempts to broaden the viewer's awareness of this subject matter and the creative potential it has to offer.
The aim of the ongoing collaborative series between the Pulitzer and the SLSO is to explore with musical means the unique possibilities the Pulitzer building provides: an intimate setting to experience music, art and architecture. Chamber works are selected by David Robertson, SLSO Music Director, and relate to installations on view at the Pulitzer.
Tickets are available one month prior to the concert, and can be purchased through the Powell Symphony Hall box office at 314-534-1700 or at www.slso.org. Tickets for the event are $20.00. The Pulitzer and SLSO are pleased to announce a discounted rate of $10.00 for students throughout the Portrait Concert Series. Availability is limited due to venue size (100 tickets). Visit www.pulitzerarts.org for more information on the exhibition and concert series.
