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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392
9000 Post Club Member
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OP
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392 |
Olivier Messiaen, December 10, 1908 – April 27, 1992.
Visiting his church, Église de la Sainte-Trinité, in Paris last May was nothing short of overwhelming for me. Yes, there were tears.
What an incredible composer, his organ works never fail to speak profoundly to me, even if I am not RC. I heard countless performances of Messiaen by the greatest British organists, and I studied several of his organ works. They are horribly difficult, but ultimately so rewarding. Messiaen's writing for the organ is expert, gloriously natural, a sensual pleasure under the fingers.
I never studied any of the piano works, but my life would be so much poorer without Trios petites liturgies de la Présence, Visions de l'Amen, Quatuor pour la fin du temps. Seattle Symphony will do Turangalîla-symphonie in January.
Messiaen -strictly IMO- was not immune to occasionally overstepping himself. The sprawling oratorio La transfiguration de Notre Seigneur from 1965 is bloated, pompous, an often naive religious take-no-prisoners study in excess.
Jason
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,264
4000 Post Club Member
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4000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,264 |
Is the old geezer the same wot gave the movie 2001
such a lift off?
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,607
2000 Post Club Member
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2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,607 |
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,701
6000 Post Club Member
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6000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,701 |
I saw his grave in Paris a few years ago. Impressive.
Yamaha AvantGrand N1X | Roland RD 2000 | Sennheiser HD 598 headphones
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 789
500 Post Club Member
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500 Post Club Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 789 |
Turangalîla-symphonie blew me away when I first heard it. It still does blow me away, but only on recordings. I would love to hear it live, but a trek to Seattle is beyond my financial reach......
Piano instruction and performance
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 6,050
6000 Post Club Member
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6000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 6,050 |
Yay, Messiaen!
In other (sad) news, RIP Charles Rosen.
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 216
Full Member
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Full Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 216 |
I have used the quartour pour la fin du temps in order to irritate my brother  . He thought it was random noises...
Working on
Chopin: op. 25 no. 11
Haydn: Sonata in in Eb Hob XVI/52
Schumann: Piano concerto 1st movement
Rachmaninoff: op. 39 no. 8
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,759
1000 Post Club Member
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1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,759 |
Rosen -- now there's a dreadful loss! Scholar, pianist, champion of Carter, he was one of the most complete of musicians.
Die Krebs gehn zurucke,
Die Stockfisch bleiben dicke,
Die Karpfen viel fressen,
Die Predigt vergessen.
Die Predigt hat g'fallen.
Sie bleiben wie alle.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,701
6000 Post Club Member
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6000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,701 |
Sorry for my previous post. It was not Messiaen's grave I saw in Paris, it was Saint-Saëns.
Yamaha AvantGrand N1X | Roland RD 2000 | Sennheiser HD 598 headphones
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392
9000 Post Club Member
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OP
9000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392 |
In other (sad) news, RIP Charles Rosen.
Very sad, indeed. I read a number of his books -'The Romantic Generation' is particularly recommended- and found them all very stimulating if occasionally a bit opaque and slightly over my head. One wonders where he found the time to get through as much music as he did... and in such depth!
Jason
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