The Messiaen Centenary Messiaen Remix January 28, 2009

The Messiaen Centenary: Messiaen Remix David Krakauer, clarinet; Matt Haimovitz, cello; Socalled, electronics
January 28, 2009
Wednesday / 8:00 pm
Dinkelspiel Auditorium

$34–38 (Adult) | $17–19 (Stanford Student)

In a re-framing of the Quartet for the End of Time, Matt Haimovitz, David Krakauer (known for his klezmer performances), and DJ Socalled have created “Akoka (Messiaen Remix),” a seamless program of music commenting on Olivier Messiaen's iconic Quartet. Composed when Messiaen, a Catholic, was a prisoner of war in Germany, the original work was written for the Jewish clarinetist Henri Akoka, also a POW. With this context in mind, this program’s musicians reimagine the world premiere of this seminal work at Stalag VIII-A. The program comprises three distinctive views of the Quartet: Akoka, a piece by Krakauer infused with klezmer and Sephardic-inspired improvisation; the Quartet itself, performed in its entirety with subtle amplification and reverb effects; and Meanwhile (A Messiaen Remix), a composition by Canadian hip-hop artist Socalled, mixing Messiaen samples and other electronics with acoustic improvisation by the ensemble.

Generously supported by Hillel at Stanford and the Taube Center for Jewish Studies.

Official Website: http://livelyarts.stanford.edu/event.php?code=KRAK