Oslo Opera House 27 March 2022 - Piano series - Bertrand Chamayou | GoComGo.com

Piano series - Bertrand Chamayou

Oslo Opera House, Main Stage, Oslo, Norway
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6 PM

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Important Info
Type: Classical Concert
City: Oslo, Norway
Starts at: 18:00
Duration: 2h 10min

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Programme
Overview

It borders on a religious experience when piano virtuoso Bertrand Chamayou takes on Olivier Messiaen’s iconic tribute to the infant Jesus.

When Bertrand Chamayou takes the Main Stage, it is time to sit back and enjoy: Vingt regard sur l'enfant-Jésus (‘Twenty visions of the baby Jesus’) is one of the most difficult pieces ever written for the piano. The work, which Messiaen dedicated to his student and later wife when composing it in 1944, consists of 20 movements and takes close to two hours to perform. 

One of France’s greatest pianists 

With Chamayou at the keys, time is sure to fly by. This French piano virtuoso is famous for his imaginative musical interpretations that are so beautiful they take your breath away.  

He has performed on stages and at music festivals around the world, always with a sense of serenity and calm at the piano. He has played together with such world-class musicians as Vilde Frang and Leif Ove Andsnes – but will be performing solo at the Oslo Opera House. 

“Chamayou is a remarkable musician, no question.” Tim Ashley, The Guardian 

Technical and intellectual masterpiece 

It is not often that this piece is performed in its entirety, as it requires a pianist with both physical and emotional stamina, as well as a sharp mind. Messiaen was a devout Catholic and Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus is his very personal celebration of the birth of Jesus.  

The piece has been accorded iconic status and is considered one of the most revolutionary works in the piano repertoire from the 20th century, a magnificent piece of music that spans from the fabulous to the frightening. It was written at a time of great human suffering, during the final phases of the German occupation of Messiaen’s hometown of Paris. The fact that expresses such joy, conviction, love, hope, and ecstasy makes it all the more amazing. 

Messiaen’s masterpiece is in safe hands with Chamayou: “His musically insightful, technically flawless playing can be confused with no-one else’s,” wrote International Record Review about this pianist from Toulouse.

Venue Info

Oslo Opera House - Oslo
Location   Kirsten Flagstads Plass 1

The Oslo Opera House is the home of The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national opera theatre in Norway. The building is situated in the Bjørvika neighbourhood of central Oslo, at the head of the Oslofjord. It is operated by Statsbygg, the government agency which manages property for the Norwegian government. The structure contains 1,100 rooms in a total area of 38,500 m2 (414,000 sq ft). The main auditorium seats 1,364 and two other performance spaces can seat 200 and 400. The main stage is 16 m (52 ft) wide and 40 m (130 ft) deep. The angled exterior surfaces of the building are covered with marble from Carrara, Italy and white granite and make it appear to rise from the water. It is the largest cultural building constructed in Norway since Nidarosdomen was completed circa 1300.

In 1999, after a long national debate, the Norwegian legislature decided to construct a new opera house in the city. A design competition was held and, of the 350 entries received, the judges chose that of Snøhetta. Construction started in 2003 and was completed in 2007, ahead of schedule and 300 million NOK (~US$52 million) under its budget of 4.4 billion NOK (~US$760 million). The gala opening on 12 April 2008 was attended by His Majesty King Harald, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and President Tarja Halonen of Finland and other leaders. During the first year of operation, 1.3 million people passed through the building's doors.

The Opera House won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in October 2008 and the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.

The roof of the building angles to ground level, creating a large plaza that invites pedestrians to walk up and enjoy the panoramic views of Oslo. While much of the building is covered in white granite and La Facciata, a white Italian carrara marble, the stage tower is clad in white aluminium, in a design by Løvaas & Wagle that evokes old weaving patterns.

The lobby is surrounded by 15 m (49 ft) tall windows with minimal framing and special glass that allows maximum views of the water. The roof is supported by thin angled columns also designed not to interfere with views.

Interior surfaces are covered in oak to bring warmth to spaces in contrast to the coolness of the white exterior. The main auditorium is a horseshoe shape and illuminated by an oval chandelier containing 5,800 handmade crystals. Seats include monitors for the electronic libretto system, allowing audiences to follow opera libretti in Norwegian and English in addition to the original language.

Several art projects were commissioned for the interior and exterior of the Opera House. The most notable is She Lies, a sculpture constructed of stainless steel and glass panels by Monica Bonvicini. It is permanently installed on a concrete platform in the fjord adjacent to Opera House and floats on the water moving in response to tides and wind to create an ever-changing face to viewers. The work was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Sonja on 11 May 2010.

A perforated wall panel which covers roof supports in the lobby was designed by Olafur Eliasson. It features hexagonal opening and is illuminated from below and behind to create the illusion of melting ice. Other artists involved in the construction include Kristian Blystad, Jorunn Sannes and Kalle Grude, who designed the shape of the pavers on the forecourt and roof; Bodil Furu and Trine Lise Nedreaas, who created a film and video project; Marte Aas, Talleiv Taro Manum, Tom Sandberg, Gerd Tinglum and Nina Witoszek Fitzpatrick, who created the art book Site Seeing; and Linus Elmes and Ludvig Löfgren, who created the foundation stone.

The main stage curtain is the work of Pae White who designed it to look like crumpled aluminum foil. White scanned a crumpled piece of foil into a computer which translated the information to a loom that wove the curtain from wool, cotton and polyester to create a three-dimensional effect. The curtain was manufactured by the German-based theatrical equipment company Gerriets GmbH. The finished curtain measures 74 ft (23 m) wide and 36 ft (11 m) and weighs 1,100 lb (500 kg).

Important Info
Type: Classical Concert
City: Oslo, Norway
Starts at: 18:00
Duration: 2h 10min
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