Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

Started by bhodges, January 03, 2008, 09:35:19 AM

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early grey

#300
Charles Groves conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra  in the Turangalila Symphony with John Ogdon (Piano) and Jeanne Loriod (Ondes Martenot) from a BBC prom is available on this page of my site

http://www.cliveheathmusic.co.uk/tapes.php

EigenUser

#301
Great performance of a great piece, but watch the percussionist playing the tuned gongs starting around 32:45 in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/v/3f4qdJHatNM
Nice save! He almost made it seem like it was part of the show. I can imagine that these kinds of things happen with percussion instruments rather often.
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Ken B

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 26, 2013, 09:50:28 AM
My favorite Messiaen work is L'ascension. For me, it doesn't get much more beautiful than this, but I really enjoy his early work anyway. His later work not so much.
I think we agree John. The big piano cycles and the 3 liturgies, some of the organ are what I like.

lescamil

Quote from: Octave on December 11, 2013, 12:03:07 AMDoes anyone strongly suggest one recording of Oiseaux exotiques (1955-56) above others?  For the moment I know of only two, one from Donohoe and De Leeuw with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble (Chandos) and one with Loriod and Boulez with the Intercontemporain (Naive/Montaigne).  I'm sure Loriod is tough to beat, but I still thought I'd ask, especially if there's an ace recording elsewhere I haven't seen.

This recording is tops for me. I uploaded this 7 years ago, and I still watch it quite a bit. Great performance in every way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht5qqE_e1UE
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Octave

Thanks very much for that, lescamil.
Also I failed to thank amw for the earlier feedback on discs.

Quote from: YT comments-stream denizenthis is not the way music should be composed, this is going back to prehistory of sound. After Rachmaninov, music died!
Actually that whole comments stream is amusing enough to constitute a reward for your efforts.
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bwv 1080

saw this today - a lost piano piece from the early 60s was discovered last year:

http://www.lepoissonrouge.com/lpr_events/peter-hill-marilyn-nonken-pianos-october-12th-2014/

QuotePeter Hill's recital with Marilyn Nonken is a chance to hear the New York premiere of a lost masterpiece by Messiaen, discovered by Peter Hill last year among Messiaen's sketches. La Fauvette Passerinette was composed in the summer of 1961. It was almost certainly intended as the start of a second cycle of pieces on French birdsongs to go with the Catalogue d'oiseaux (1956–58); but by the end of 1961 Messiaen found himself busy with the first of a succession of orchestral works that would occupy him for the rest of the decade, and La Fauvette Passerinette was put aside and forgotten.

The inspiration for La Fauvette Passerinette came from a week in May 1961 that Messiaen spent in the Hérault region of central southern France. Messiaen's manuscript is in an advanced state of completion, with even the piano fingering in place; passages still in the composer's shorthand were realised by Hill by cross-referencing to the birdsong notations by Messiaen on which the piece is based. The music shows considerable differences with the earlier Catalogue d'oiseaux, with the birdsong more richly harmonised and with a new sense of development, as the music of the main soloist, the sub-alpine warbler, transforms from the lively but lyrical interplay of the opening into a brilliant, almost jazzily-syncopated closing toccata.

Joaquimhock

"Dans la vie il faut regarder par la fenêtre"

Mandryka

#307
Messiaen wrote a series of short commentaries on each of the Vingt Regards in 1945, I have them in the booklet that comes with Osborne's recording on Hyperion. But in that booklet it says that he went on to expand each commentary. Does anyone know how I can get hold of this expended set of comments, preferably free and online, and preferably in French?

I'm interested in exploring recordings of the music, to see how far they reflect Messiaen's ideas. At the moment, just working with the shorter notes, I'm really impressed by what Håkon Austbø does.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

petrarch

Quote from: Mandryka on May 09, 2014, 10:38:46 PM
Messiaen wrote a series of short commentaries on each of the Vingt Regards in 1945, I have them in the booklet that comes with Osborne's recording on Hyperion. But in that booklet it says that he went on to expand each commentary. Does anyone know how I can get hold of this expended set of comments, preferably free and online, and preferably in French?

Check pages 212-224 of the following: https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/4771/ubc_1996-091554.pdf?sequence=1
//p
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EigenUser

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 26, 2013, 09:50:28 AM
My favorite Messiaen work is L'ascension. For me, it doesn't get much more beautiful than this, but I really enjoy his early work anyway. His later work not so much.
I just came across this post. Thanks! This is a beautiful piece that I'm hearing for the first time now. Reminds me quite a bit of Debussy's "Le Martyre de Saint-Sebastien".

I am really starting to enjoy Messiaen a lot, though there are some things that I don't like about his work. Have you heard his "Et Exspecto Resurrectionem Mortuorem"? I'd highly recommend it if you haven't. Extremely powerful music. Since we were speaking of "landmarks" on the Ligeti orchestral works thread, I'll point out the huge woodwind crescendos and gong-rolls in the third movement of "Et Exspecto..."
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Mirror Image

Quote from: EigenUser on May 10, 2014, 06:09:22 PM
I just came across this post. Thanks! This is a beautiful piece that I'm hearing for the first time now. Reminds me quite a bit of Debussy's "Le Martyre de Saint-Sebastien".

I am really starting to enjoy Messiaen a lot, though there are some things that I don't like about his work. Have you heard his "Et Exspecto Resurrectionem Mortuorem"? I'd highly recommend it if you haven't. Extremely powerful music. Since we were speaking of "landmarks" on the Ligeti orchestral works thread, I'll point out the huge woodwind crescendos and gong-rolls in the third movement of "Et Exspecto..."

Glad you enjoyed it, Nate. It is a beautiful work. I haven't heard Et Exspecto Resurrectionem Mortuorem in quite some time. I think there was a point a few years where I went through all of Messiaen's orchestral music. Is this an early work? I can't remember. Anyway, I'll check it out at some point.

EigenUser

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 10, 2014, 06:16:18 PM
Is this an early work?
No, it is from 1964. I'd say for sure that it is my favorite piece by Messiaen.

What do you think of "Turangalila-Symphonie"?
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Ken B

Quote from: EigenUser on May 10, 2014, 06:26:05 PM

What do you think of "Turangalila-Symphonie"?
Not a total success. Parts I like but overall I always wish it would end. He indulges his penchant for shallowness.

EigenUser

Quote from: Ken B on May 10, 2014, 06:28:57 PM
Not a total success. Parts I like but overall I always wish it would end. He indulges his penchant for shallowness.
That pretty much sums up my feelings exactly. I love the movements I, II, V, and X. The whole thing is really too long for what it is. It does contain some great music, though. I always get the fifth movement "Joy of the Blood of the Stars" stuck in my head. I found myself whistling it in the grocery store the other day! Such a pleasant little tune.
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Mirror Image

Quote from: EigenUser on May 10, 2014, 06:26:05 PM

What do you think of "Turangalila-Symphonie"?

I never cared for the work. That's all I'll say as I'm trying to be nice. :)

EigenUser

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 10, 2014, 06:44:20 PM
I never cared for the work. That's all I'll say as I'm trying to be nice. :)
I totally understand, trust me. Even the movements that I like are repetitive to the point of absurdity. I just happen to like (very much, in fact) what is being repeated in those. One thing that really bugs me about the piece is that there are too many bells. If I ever listen to the whole thing, my ears end up ringing after.
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Ken B

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 10, 2014, 06:44:20 PM
That's all I'll say as I'm trying to be nice. :)
Variety is the spice of life.


>:D
:laugh: :laugh:  :P :laugh:

Mirror Image

Quote from: EigenUser on May 10, 2014, 06:57:37 PM
I totally understand, trust me. Even the movements that I like are repetitive to the point of absurdity. I just happen to like (very much, in fact) what is being repeated in those. One thing that really bugs me about the piece is that there are too many bells. If I ever listen to the whole thing, my ears end up ringing after.

I just think it's a huge mammoth piece that has nothing remotely interesting to say. There's nothing that lingers in my memory after listening to it and it certainly doesn't haunt me in any way. Anyway, that's all I'll say about it.

Ken B

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 10, 2014, 08:51:15 PM
I just think it's a huge mammoth piece that has nothing remotely interesting to say. There's nothing that lingers in my memory after listening to it and it certainly doesn't haunt me in any way. Anyway, that's all I'll say about it.
It's better than Des Canyon aux Etoiles ...

Mirror Image