The young Albert Fuller in the Washington National Cathedral

Albert Fuller as the angel with flaming feet in John de Rosen's mural 

in the Washington National Cathedral's Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea:

"The Entombment of Christ" (photo credit: Moon)

Oct. 31 brought the Washington, DC premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church, the Messiaen film of which Albert is both star and muse. The following day, I played, with pianist Jerome Lowenthal, the DC premiere of Messiaen's newly published violin and piano Fantaisie along with the other two Messiaen violin pieces - and since all three are short, Jerry and I filled out our hour in the Coolidge Auditorium with ten minutes of his giving a kind of Peter and the Wolf lecture-performance of "The Loriod" from the Bird Catalogue, and my reading from my book based on the film (thus also starring Albert) OH MY GOD: Messiaen in the Ear of the Unbeliever. 

Because I played the recital on a Library of Congress violin (the "Betts" Stradivarius), I needed to be in DC a few days before the concert to get to know the instrument. I had enough spare time to tour around the city with friends who live there, and the three of us spent one afternoon at the Washington National Cathedral. That's where Albert was a boy soprano and discovered the organ, his "first instrument," within whose swell box he would have, as a young boy, the formative erotic experience he describes so gracefully both in the movie and in his memoir Alice Tully: An Intimate Portrait. The Bishop's Garden of the cathedral is where Albert's ashes are scattered, and so my visit was more of a religious experience than I usually associate with going to church. 

What I'd forgotten about until we got to the cathedral was the presence there of a mural Albert modeled for when he was in high school. Described on page 48 of OH MY GOD, the mural is called "The Entombment of Christ" and features an angel with flaming feet, for whom Albert was the 16 year-old model (an irony he later noted, given his struggle with peripheral neuropathy). The library had sent me xerox images of the mural, but my friend Moon took the above picture, which gives a much better idea of the work. 

Also wonderful to see St. Alban's School, the setting of so many Albert stories, and the Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes, where Albert got fired from his last organ job for playing "oriental and barbaric music" during a service (Bach's chorale prelude "Oh man, now weep for thy great sin").

Albert Fuller in the Washington National Cathedral

The executors of Albert's estate generously gave me Albert's framed program from his 1950 organ recital in the Washington National Cathedral, in which he gave one of the very first US performances of Messiaen's Ascension Suite. Below find an image of that program, preceded (above this text and below it) by some illustrated background from the just completed second edition of my book OH MY GOD: Messiaen in the Ear of the Unbeliever, which is based on my film Apparition of the Eternal Church, of which Albert is both star and muse.

As usual, remember to click on these images to get a larger and more legible version. Also, the director's commentary at the bottom of page 39, above, continues onto page 40, which isn't included in this blog post. Last, if you're in Dallas, Chicago, Sackville (New Brunswick), Austin, Concord, Washington D.C., Phoenix or London, check this page for screenings between now and the December 10th Messiaen centenary.

Albert's movie at Library of Congress, the Barbican and beyond

Albert onscreen in New York, accompanied by Bill Trafka at the organ, at St. Bartholomew's Church in February

Apparition of the Eternal Church, the Messiaen film of which Albert is both muse and star, will screen throughout the U.S and twice in Europe between now and what would have been Messiaen's 100th birthday, on December 10th. I'll be attending most of these shows, so if you catch one please be sure to introduce yourself - one of the best things about touring with this film has been meeting other friends and former students of Albert's.

I'm especially excited about this tour because it will take the film to Washington, D.C. That's where Albert gave his early Messiaen premieres in 1950, at the National Cathedral, and it was in the National Cathedral that he had the formative musical and erotic experiences that contribute so vividly both to the film and to his Alice Tully book. I was grateful Albert lived to see the film's New York premiere at St. Bart's in November 2006, but boy do I wish he could have seen it screen at the Library of Congress. Hot shit on toast, honey. That's really wild.

Friday, September 5, 2008, 9 p.m.
Rome premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church
Rome International Film Festival (one of the finest emerging film festivals in the southeastern United States)
The Clocktower, 2 Government Plaza
Rome, GA
$7.50 general admission
NB - I will not be attending this screening

Friday, September 26, 2008, time TBA
Norway premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church
With live organ accompaniment
Cinemateket Trondheim
Vår Frue Kirke (The Church of Our Lady)
Free admission

Friday, September 26, 2008, 1 - 3 p.m.
Texas premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church, with Q&A/reading/remarks
Southern Methodist University symposium "Olivier Messiaen: The Musician as Theologian"
Smith Auditorium, Meadows Museum, 5900 Bishop Blvd.
Dallas
$15 general admission or $5 for students (contact linhn@smu.edu or 214-768-3515 for more information)

October (dates, times and admission TBA)
Loyola University Museum of Art
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago

Monday, October 4, 2008, 11:15 a.m.
Illinois premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church, with Q&A
University of Chicago Presents 2008 Messiaen Festival
The Franke Institute for the Humanities
1100 East 57th Street, JRL S-102
Chicago
Free admission

Friday, October 8, 2008, 7 p.m.
Screening of Apparition of the Eternal Church
With live organ accompaniment, Q&A/reading/remarks
Saint James Cathedral
Wabash and Huron
Chicago
Free admission

Monday, October 20, 2008, time TBA
Austin premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church, Q&A/reading/remarks
Texas premiere of Messiaen's Fantaisie for violin and piano (pianist TBA)
University of Texas at Austin
Venue and admission TBA

Friday, October 31, 2008, 8 p.m.
Washington, D.C., premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church
Library of Congress
Mary Pickford Theater
James Madison Building, 3rd floor
Independence Ave SE, between 1st & 2nd Streets
Free admission; reservations required

NB: (from the LOC website) RESERVATIONS may be made by phone, beginning one week before any given show. Call (202) 707-5677 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm). Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before showtime, after which standbys will be admitted to unclaimed seats. All programs are free, but seating is limited to 60 seats.

Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6 p.m.
Washington, D.C., premiere of Messiaen's Fantaisie for violin and piano, with Jerome Lowenthal, piano
Remarks about the Fantaisie, Messiaen, and Apparition of the Eternal Church; reading from OH MY GOD: Messiaen in the Ear of the Unbeliever
Fantaisie performed on a violin from the Collections of Musical Instruments
Library of Congress
The Coolidge Auditorium
10 1st St, SE
Washington, DC
Free admission

Monday, November 10, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Arizona premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church
Beyond Messiaen
Arizona State University
Frank Lloyd Wright's Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium
1200 S Forest Ave
Tempe, Arizona
Free admission

Monday, December 8, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
U.K. premiere of Apparition of the Eternal Church
In conjunction with the Barbican Centre's 7:30 p.m. BBC Symphony Orchestra concert featuring Messiaen's rarely performed Un sourire
The Barbican Centre
Cinema Three
Silk Street
London
NB: My appearance at this appearance is uncertain.

Albert Fuller photos by Paul Festa

Rummaging through old hard drives, I came across these photographs of Albert and friends:












In June, 2002, Albert and I were in Switzerland at Hugues Cuenod's summer chateau for his 100th birthday. I took a slew of pictures of him and Huguie and these are probably the best. We were on Huguie's lawn behind the chateau and Albert was reading Huguie something - what I don't remember.

Actually, I didn't take this photo - it was taken by my friend Anthony Lazarus over drinks at the bar I set up in my apartment - the Bar Nothing - which was modeled on Albert's Positive Bar. In the background is the portrait of me by Frank Yamrus, which would subliminally inspire the film I would later make starring Albert.

This picture was taken at Nick & Tony's, the restaurant down the block from Albert's place on 67th Street where he ate dinner more often than not in his last years. Albert and I had gone there for a bite after a few hours at the Positive Bar, and when we were finishing up, in walked friends. From left to right, above Albert: Paul Festa, Lowell Liebermann, Bobby White.

When my film Apparition of the Eternal Church screened in New York in February, Bill Trafka accompanied it live on the organ. The credits are set to Messiaen's Banquet Celeste, and the final chord sounds on this slow-motion clip of Albert at the moment he remembers the name of the work he's been listening to (Apparition de L'Eglise Eternelle). I got this shot of Albert and Bill during the dress rehearsal.

Albert Fuller's movie in Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis

Albert Fuller in Paul Festa's award-winning and internationally acclaimed Messiaen film

Apparition of the Eternal Church

Tonight, Tuesday June 24, the American Guild of Organists will present Apparition of the Eternal Church - the film of which Albert is both star and muse - in Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. The picture above is from this morning's sound check, with the Ondes Martenon players setting up below the screen for tonight's 8 p.m. Messiaen centenary tribute concert. The film, which is open to the public free of charge, starts after the concert, probably around 9:30 or a little later.

Albert's movie returns to New York - Weds, Feb. 27

AF making a big impression on his audience in Mobile, AL

Apparition of the Eternal Church, the critically acclaimed and award-winning film of which Albert Fuller is the muse and star, returns to New York for one night only:

Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 7:30 p.m.
St. Bartholomew's Church, Park & 51st

This will be the first screening of the film with live organ accompaniment. It will include more live performances including the New York premiere of Messiaen's Fantaisie for violin and piano, and the launch of my book OH MY GOD: Messiaen in the Ear of the Unbeliever. The book is based on the movie and as such stars Albert as well. After the screening, premiere and reading, join us for an open-bar reception in the sanctuary.

More about the movie, including trailer, press coverage, and full cast list here, and more about the book, including ordering information for the limited first edition, here.

AF onstage at St. Bartholomew's Church

On November 9th, 2006, Rooftop Films, the Premiere Commission and Great Music at St. Bartholomew's Church gave the New York premiere screening of Apparition of the Eternal Church, my film about people's responses to the music of Messiaen of which Albert is both muse and star. After the film, Bill Trafka played the organ, and after that Albert, the rest of the cast and I took questions. I just discovered these pictures on the Premiere Commission Website, which Bruce Levingston was kind enough to let me have full-resolution copies of.

New Yorkers--mark your calendar and save the date: Apparition of the Eternal Church returns to St. Bart's Wednesday, February 27th, 2008, at 7:30PM.

AF onstage with Premiere Commission event sponsor Bruce Levingston, fellow Apparition cast members Ricky Ian Gordon, Wayne Koestenbaum, Shanti Carson, Nancy Anderson and Manoel Felciano, director Paul Festa, St. Bart's organist Bill Trafka, and Rooftop Films program director Dan Nuxoll. Be sure to click on the image so you can see, via people's expressions, how Albert is charming the pants off us.

Boston premiere of Albert's movie

Friday, October 12th, 8PM
Marsh Chapel
735 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston

The movie of which Albert was the genesis and remains the heart, soul and star, Apparition of the Eternal Church, will have its Boston premiere this coming Friday, courtesy of the Boston University Messiaen Project (BUMP--an acronym Albert enjoyed) and its international conference "Messiaen the Theologian." After the show, conference organizer Andrew Shenton will perform the Messiaen organ work of the same name, and there will be a round-table discussion and Q&A with Andrew, Boston Globe correspondent David Weininger and me, hosted by BU's Victor Coelho.

When I interviewed Albert for the movie (the first of 115 interviews), I had no idea he'd ever played a note of Messiaen. So it was one of my biggest surprises and the movie's happiest serendipities that he had been the first to perform Messiaen in the National Cathedral back in 1950, when this music was hot off the press.

Albert figures prominently in the trailer: apparitionfilm.com/assets/ApparitionTrailer20070209QTb.mov

This is the schedule for the BUMP conference ("Messiaen the Theologian"):
http://oliviermessiaen.net/bump/conference-2007/program
(The following night, with Messiaen scholar Luke Berryman, I'll be giving the Boston premiere of a newly published Messiaen work for violin and piano, the Fantaisie.)

Here's the link to the movie's official Website: apparitionfilm.com

Here's the poster for the Boston premiere: paulfesta.com/Boston.htm

And here's Albert's bio on the movie site: apparitionfilm.com/cast/fullerbio.htm