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'Terrifying Joy'
By BRYAN LOHR
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| Paul Jacobs at the organ of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. (Photo by Jane Rubinsky) |
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At the age of 27, Paul Jacobs is one of the youngest faculty members in the history of The Juilliard School. This month in New York City, Jacobs will endeavor to do something that most musicians of any age would look upon with awe: He will play the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), around nine hours of music, in a one-day marathon concert.
The performance will take place on Saturday, April 24, at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin (located at 145 West 46th Street, just off Times Square). Free and open to the public, the event will be divided into six segments with only brief breaks in between. Segments will begin in the afternoon at 1:30, 2:30, 3:45, 5:30, 7, and 8:15. (The specific order of the program may be found at www.stmvirgin.org.) Jacobs, who possesses a massive repertoire, says that, "Performances such as these require an enormous physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual commitment, both from the performer and the listener. But they give back something else that is far greater, which I simply cannot describe in words."
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"Certainly St. Mary's organ is one that will ideally convey the terrifying joy of Messiaen's music. It has the power to magnificently crush the listener in a most glorious way."
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Jacobs, a native of Washington, Pa., joined the Juilliard faculty at the beginning of the 2003-04 academic year. He was a double-major in organ and harpsichord at the Curtis Institute, and later graduated from Yale with a master's degree and an artist diploma. The organist received considerable attention in 2000 when he twice performed the complete organ works of J. S. Bach in New York and Philadelphia, each time in a series of 14 concerts on consecutive nights. Astonishingly, Jacobs later performed the Bach cycle in one 18-hour, virtually uninterrupted performance in Pittsburgh. "It was an extremely stimulating event for me, so much so that I did not notice fatigue or hunger," Jacobs said in an interview from his office at New York's Christ and St. Stephen's Church, where he serves as organist and choirmaster. Jacobs is also currently preparing a cycle of the complete organ works of Max Reger.Although he has already presented his Messiaen cycle six times, Jacobs is particularly excited about the New York venue: "Certainly Saint Mary's instrument is one that will ideally convey the terrifying joy of Messiaen's music. It has the power to magnificently crush the listener in a most glorious way."
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Complete Organ Works of Olivier Messiaen
Paul Jacobs, Organ
Church of Saint Mary the Virgin
145 West 46th Street
Saturday, April 24
Segments begin at 1:30, 2:30, 3:45, 5:30, 7, and 8:15 p.m.
Free; no tickets required. For more information visit www.stmvirgin.org.
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The "King of Instruments" was a central part of Messiaen's long and distinguished life. His contribution to the organ repertoire is vast and significant, including La Nativité du Seigneur, L'Ascension, Les Corps Glorieux, and Livre du Saint Sacrement. Messiaen was a devout Catholic, a self-proclaimed "born believer," who explored matters of Christian theology and human emotional responses to divine mysteries with his prolific musical output. "My music is addressed to all those who believe, and also to all others," the composer stated. Even after gaining international renown, one of the composer's greatest joys was playing for the Mass at La Trinité in Paris, where he held the position of organist for a remarkable 61 years. Messiaen's organ works showcase his famous (and painstaking) devotion to the study and transcription of birdsong, Gregorian chant, and Hindu rhythmic patterns, as well as his fascination with the concepts of time and eternity.Paul Jacobs first heard the music of Messiaen at an organ recital at age 12. He claims to have been instantly attracted. Jacobs' own interpretations of Messiaen's music have been met with unprecedented enthusiasm and rave reviews in 2002, when he played the complete works in Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C. "I think there is something to be said for a total immersion within the entire canon—a day of devotion, so to speak. They provide an opportunity to dream, to meditate, and to discover new, transcendent realms of sound and silence," Jacobs said. And, quoting the composer with whom he feels a deep affinity, he adds, "Real music, beautiful music—you can listen to it without understanding it; you do not need to have studied rhythm or harmony. You must feel it."Bryan Lohr is a third-year organ student.
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