★★★★★ Two hours contemplating the infant Jesus really is heaven on earth.

City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
March 14, 2016

There aren’t many musicians on the planet who can claim the degree of imprimatur of French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Hand-picked at the tender age of 12 by Yvonne Loriod, he was taken under the wing of (some would say almost adopted by) the Messiaens, an experience that gave him rare insights into the man and his music. His time with Pierre Boulez and Ensemble Intercontemporain brought him more contact with the composer, and the Vingt Regards, Messiaen’s magnum opus, has been in his repertoire for many years, a work that he claims it was “inevitable” that he would play. The opportunity to hear him interpret the two-hour plus cycle in Australia, then, was an event not to be missed.

A self-effacing presence, dressed soberly in black, Aimard’s focus is firmly on the music and only on the music. And what focus. His commitment and involvement, not just with the music but with his (equally black) instrument is total. I honestly can’t recall hearing and seeing a pianist so tangibly alert to the sound he is producing. “I wouldn’t just...