Ron Chaplin wrote:

>I only have one Messian in my collection "Vingt regard sur le enfant de
>Jesus"- It is on Naxos, wtih the same pianist.  I find it very demanding
>to listen to but when I'm in the right mind it is very fascinating.  It
>is as far as I can judged very well played.

Oops, you touched a soft musical spot there.  Just forgive me for a little
funny story:

Some years ago, just a few days before he went into the studio to record
this work in above mentioned CD, Haakan Austbo came to the Maastricht
"Musica Sacra" festival to play these "Vingt Regards". As the festival
program was absolutely crammed, he was forced to start performing at
midnight would you believe it, lasting to something like two o'clock in
the morning. As the concert also took place in a acoustically sound but
otherwise quite unwelcoming ambience, understandably only four people
attended the concert, of which I was one.  Soon, my three companions all
fell into a sound sleep....  Alas, they missed the concert of their life,
because Haakan really had it going that night. As he was obviously firing
up for his studio sessions, he played like pure magic that night.  And now,
every time I play this CD, I grinningly think back at how Haakan Austbo
tought me a thing or two on Messiaen that night.  I think I had one for the
Guiness book that night, as I was the only one applauding at the end, the
others leaving quietly embarrased before. And I'll never forget Haakan's
smile at me.

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