Scottish wizard’s Vingt Regards offers two hours of pure musical ecstasy.

Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney

August 23, 2014

I know I’m going out on a limb here, but I believe Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus to be the great piano masterpiece of the 20th century (and yes, I know Rachmaninov, Ravel and Prokofiev had plenty to say back then as well). It’s also one of the most technically demanding works in the repertoire with a performance lasting over two hours, hence opportunities to experience it live are like hen’s teeth.

Our own century has no finer exponent of the work than the Scottish pianist Steven Osborne, a man who (unlike some others) prefers not to come up for air when tackling this pianistic marathon. One might therefore have expected a packed Verbrugghen Hall for such a rare and prestigious outing, courtesy of some enlightened programming by the Australian Chamber Orchestra. As it was, several hundred of us slightly rattled around, which was a pity, and whether it was fear of Messiaen or fear of two hours without a comfort break I can’t help feeling Sydney might have done better. Their loss though, as this was one of the most remarkable and...