In Depth

I've listened to Pierre-Laurent Aimand performing Messiaen's L'alouette lulu three times over the last three days, and would happy to continue doing so for several days to come. I'd hesitate to say this is something by my favourite composer played by my favourite pianist, but it surely comes close. What astonishes me about this piece is the sense of music operating in three dimensions. I hear the depth of the wood the bird sings in. And then there's the sense that the bird is somehow more than a bird, its song transcending time. So the whole becomes an eternal truth.