Concert: HARAWI – Chants d’amour et de mort, by Olivier Messiaen

Alexandra Achillea: mezzo-soprano
Elisabeth Pion: piano

In the Peruvian dialect Quechua, a Harawi (Qarawi) is a love song ending with the death of the lovers.
Resembling a one-woman opera, Harawi – part of Messiaen’s Tristan trilogy – explores unattainable love, finding solace in death. Set against a backdrop spanning from tranquil towns to Peruvian forests and the cosmos, it weaves a poetic narrative that blends surrealism and impressionism, enriching its landscape with Andean folk song melodies, bird song, onomatopoeic Quechua words, and repeated fragments of words. From joy and love to grief and loss all held simultaneously—a reflection of Messiaen’s personal emotions toward his wife amidst her mental decline, and his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II.

Lighting design & Visuals: Alexandros Seitaridis
Sound: Kyriakos Markoullis