Fifty-five years after the release of their first recording, Katia and Marielle Labèque celebrate an extraordinary artistic journey with “55”, a landmark 3-CD boxed set bringing together new recordings and curated archive treasures spanning more than half a century. First released in 1970 under the artistic guidance of Olivier Messiaen, the Labèque sisters’ debut album marked the beginning of one of the most singular careers in contemporary music. “Visions de l’Amen was our very first recording. We were 17 and 19. Olivier Messiaen himself asked us to record it”, as they recall.
Featuring 25 new tracks (recorded in 2025, including world premiere recordings) and 30 historic tracks (recorded from 1970-2024), the album offers an intimate portrait of two artists who have consistently crossed boundaries between classical, contemporary, jazz, minimalism and popular traditions. “55” has a particular focus on women composers with 12 of the 55 tracks written by eight different women. On these composers Katia and Marielle say: “Their apparent silence was only a veil imposed by history. Their stories - extraordinary journeys and courageous destinies - resonate today with striking force.”
Beyond its musical scope, 55 is also a visual and editorial object: the box includes photographs by Brigitte Lacombe, tracing more than four decades of shared artistic life and friendship, alongside a richly documented booklet with an essay by musicologist and journalist Renaud Machard, historical context and composer quotes.
