University of Washington Doctoral Candidate to Speak and Perform at CWU

University of Washington piano performance doctoral candidate Allastair Edmonstone will perform one of the most significant but rarely performed piano masterpieces of the twentieth century, Oliver Messaien?s ?Vingt Regards Sur l?Enfant-Jesus.? This free concert will be presented in the Music Building Concert Hall at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21. Edmonstone will also give a talk on ?Vingt Regards Sur l?Enfant-Jesus? at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20 in the Recital Hall. Although intended for music students, all members of the community are welcome. ?Vingt Regards,? a meditation on the childhood of Jesus, is regarded as one of the greatest piano works of the twentieth century. It is a collection of 20 pieces, each one presenting a different ?gaze? or ?contemplation? on the infant Jesus, such as ?Gaze of time,? ?The exchange? and ?The kiss of the infant Jesus.? Suffused with Messaien?s characteristic theme of Catholic mysticism, the composer incorporates various themes or leitmotifs into the work, each one representing a particular idea. Examples include the ?Theme of God,? the ?Theme of Mystical Love,? the ?Theme of Joy? and the ?Theme of the Star and of the Cross.? Persons of disability may make arrangements for reasonable accommodation by calling (509) 963-1216 OR (for hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.