Jenseits – Basel Sinfonietta
Overview
Intro
Concert: Beyond
Students of the Basel University of Music
Titus Engel, Conductor
Basel Sinfonietta
Olivier Messiaen: “Éclairs sur l’au-delà…”
In cooperation with the Classical Music Institute at the Basel University of Music FHNW
Performing Olivier Messiaen’s last major work has been a long-cherished wish of Principal Conductor Titus Engel—so with this concert, we now venture into the “hereafter.” As a monumental work comprising eleven movements, “Éclairs sur l’au-delà…” not only fills the entire evening’s program but also goes beyond the conventional instrumentation of a symphony orchestra. This major project is being realized with 50 students from the Basel University of Music, who will join the Basel Sinfonietta on stage, thereby collectively bringing this immense ensemble to life.
Messiaen, whose work was deeply intertwined with his profound Catholic faith, dedicated the piece to a monumental theme: the biblical concept of heaven and eternity. With movement titles such as “The Appearance of the Transfigured Christ” (first movement), “The Stars and the Glory” (eighth movement), and “Christ, Light of Paradise” (final movement), the work paints overwhelming musical images. For in addition to religious inspiration, Messiaen’s perception was shaped by a unique quality: musical chords appeared to him as colors, a quality that becomes particularly tangible in this work. His other great passion, ornithology, is also ever-present in Messiaen’s visions of the afterlife. The birds, which he revered as “little messengers of divine joy,” are represented by a complex, polyphonic chirping and wander throughout the entire orchestra. The composer was unable to experience his final masterpiece himself; he passed away half a year before its world premiere in New York in 1992. Yet his musical farewell to the “afterlife” is anything but gloomy or melancholic—it is a radiant, chirping testament to hope.
Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.
| Contact address |
Basel Sinfonietta
Schützenmattstrasse 43 4051 Basel +41 (0)61 315 10 30 info@baselsinfonietta.ch |
|---|---|
| Event Homepage | https://www.baselsinfonietta.ch |
| Opening hours |
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
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Event dates
- 28 November 2026
Kulturhaus Bider & Tanner Aeschenvorstadt 2 4051 Basel +41 61 206 99 96 Regular Hours Mon–Sat 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
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Fax +41 (0)61 226 36 10
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