Bon anniversaire
A belated happy birthday to Olivier Messiaen, who would have turned 100 yesterday. Messiaen's works have been featured by orchestras around the world this season (including the Minnesota Orchestra, a concert which I've blogged about.)
(Coincidentally, Des Canyons aux Étoiles has just popped up on my iTunes shuffle...funny how these things work out!)
In celebration, an excerpt of one of my favorite of his works:
(Coincidentally, Des Canyons aux Étoiles has just popped up on my iTunes shuffle...funny how these things work out!)
In celebration, an excerpt of one of my favorite of his works:
Labels: composers, orchestras not named minnesota
posted by Sarah at
9:47 AM
3 Comments:
I just listened to part of Des Canyons aux Étoiles yesterday! It's pretty long, so I'm breaking it up into chunks for now. I too am rejoicing in the Messiaen anniversary. Most of this music is new to me and it's quite a discovery. It's entirely possible I wouldn't have had the interest in delving into more of Messiaen's music if it had not been for the spiritual journey I took in listening to the Minnesota Orchestra's outstanding "L'Ascension" earlier in the season.
About a month ago I also picked up a wonderful EMI box set containing 14 discs of Messiaen. I love box sets, and many of them are priced exceptionally well. I listen to them on my commute to and from work, and anywhere else I get a chance! Check it out:
Messiaen CD
I've actually been eyeing that very box set - perhaps I'll pick it up on your recommendation. I came somewhat late to Messaien myself, and I've been hooked ever since we played Turangalila under Ingo Metzmacher some years back. He's my pick for the next formerly avant-garde composer to go mainstream, like Stravinsky did over the past half-century. I'm guessing there will be a lot more Messaien in our concert halls fifty years from now than there is today, and audiences will eat it up...
Des Canyons isn't actually on that box set that I mentioned, I've been listening to that work off a live stream I picked up on Radio Swiss Romande. How I lived without the internet I truly do not know!
Unfortunately, I missed the Turangalila/Metzmacher program. I don't have access to my notes right now, so I don't know what season that was. I didn't arrive back in Minneapolis until Summer '03 after a lengthy stay in another city, so I think that was probably before then. I imagine trying to fill a hall for Turangalila is perhaps even more difficult than trying to fill it on some of the Mahler symphonies, but I would have been game for it.
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