In demand as a soprano and conductor, Barbara Hannigan makes her long-awaited NAC debut alongside pianist Bertrand Chamayou. John Zorn's Jumalattaret pushes Hannigan's vocal abilities to the limit in songs inspired by Finland's national poem. In Olivier Messiaen's deeply personal song cycle, the composer meditates on the joy of family life and his devout faith.
Acclaimed as an "intoxicating, graceful" artist whose "whole being breathes music" (De Telegraaf), Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan partners with the French pianist Bertrand Chamayou for a recital filled with moments of mysticism, meditation, and ecstasy.
Olivier Messiaen's deeply personal Chants de Terre et de Ciel (Songs of Earth and Sky) explores the composer's relationship to marriage, parenting, and faith in songs teeming with vibrant colors, complex rhythms, and profound spirituality. Two solo piano works by Alexander Scriabin journey through worlds of mystery and mysticism: Poème-nocturne evokes the hazy dreamscapes we experience in the moments between sleep and waking, while Vers la flamme offers a gripping musical portrait of fire.
And in John Zorn's Jumalattaret, composed for Hannigan, the soprano must navigate a raft of wild vocal techniques — from sudden leaps in register to whispers and squeaks — as she brings to life the strength and bravery of female heroes from the Kalevala, Finland's national poem.