A facelift

Église de la Réconciliation

Taizé has two churches: the big Église de la Réconciliation and the small Église romane Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. Both are in use by the international Christian ecumenical monastic order of Taizé. the small however is hardly ever used for services; only around New Year's Eve, when there are hardly any guests in Taizé only a few services are held by the monks.

Église romane Sainte-Marie-Madeleine

Because I am interested in Romanesque architecture I had visited the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine a few times. However, the church had two drawbacks. Even though the church is not really in use it is very often occupied by quite a few Taizé visitors, who feel the need to tun that particular church in a meditation centre. That is also the reason why in the summertime it is virtually impossible to take pictures of the interior without having people in the viewfinder.

Church before the renovation (with flash)

Further the church more resembled a burial chamber than a church. The walls were plastered in a sober dark grey (bordering on black), and the windows are very small and not very transparent. Both factors made it virtually impossible a) to photograph without using a flash, and b) to walk around in the pitch dark without breaking your neck over stools, empty or occupied, left behind by Taizé visitors. All in all, I never felt at ease inside that church.

Church after the renovation (without flash)

When recently I decided to have a look inside the church again, I found a very pleasant surprise. The interior had been completely renovated, there was new furniture and the awful grey had been replaced by a beige colour. In word: the church had been transformed from burial chamber into a church.
And what did the bible say? "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness."
Only why did it take the Taizé Brothers so long to come up with this bright idea?

Church after the renovation (without flash)

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Les Grandes Heures de Cluny

It has been a year ago since I wrote another blog about Les Grandes Heures de Cluny.This year the programming was different compared to that of previous years.

Quatuor Morphing - Farinier

Then there were six (last year even seven) concerts in the series, but this year was the festival's 50th anniversary and the organisers had decided not to stick with one festival, but to organise a second so called "Off" festival (Les Grandes Minutes de Cluny), consisting of four free concerts. The first festival is financed from subsidies, receipts and sponsor gifts, the second is entirely paid for by the council of Cluny.

Sergei Nakariakov & Maria Meerovitch - Farinier

Since I am not a music critic, I will restrict myself to sketch in course lines what was and still is on offer this year.
The "real" festival is always opened in June, presenting what this season will bring and with a musical accompaniment. This is a free evening, and the music this year was performed by the (saxophone) Quatuor Morphing.

Tsjaikovsky avond - Cloître

At the end of July the first concert was a Tchaikovsky evening (violin concerto and the fourth symphony) by the Briansk Symphony Orchestra with Elsa Grether – violin.
In August there are 5 concerts.
Olivier Charlier - violin, Aurélien Pascal - cello and Olivier Gardon – piano played Schubert, Popper and Beethoven's "Archduke" trio.
Nicholas Angelich – piano played Beethoven's "Waldstein" sonata and two series of variations by Brahms and Haydn.

Aartshertog trio - Farinier

The next concert was a very versatile concert given by the Russian trumpet player Sergei Nakariakov and piano player Maria Meerovitch, with music by a.o. Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Mozart, Schumann and Skriabin.
Still on the program are the Stabat Mater by Pergolesi and a modern version of the Stabat Mater by Lacroux, sung by the female choir Calliope.

Waldstein sonate - Farinier

During the final concert by the Salzburg Chamber Soloists "The four seasons", in the versions of Vivaldi and Piazzola, will be performed.
In the "Off" series we missed out on a concert by a choir, however we fully enjoyed a piano recital by the 16 years old Ilan Zaitmanm and a jazz concert by the Paul lay Trio with singer Isabelle Sörling. Still to come is a Baroque performance by the Odo Ensemble.

Zaitmann - Farinier

In my humble opinion all concerts so far were of extraordinary quality as well as varied, and the same goes for the concerts in the "Off" series.
The programming had one disadvantage. Last week there were three concerts on three consecutive evenings, and on two of those days there was also an "Off" concert. And to be honest, five concerts on three consecutive days is a bit much, however, I also must admit that I would not have wanted to miss any of the concerts.

The Man I Love - Trio Paul Lay - Farinier

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