the recording of 'Des Canyons aux Etoiles' I have was conducted by Salonen with Paul Crossley on piano. According to the liner notes, it's one of his major orchestral works of allegorical christian mysticism. It features the sort of becomings-avian that characterize much of Messiaen's piano work. There are extended solo sections for the piano and to a lesser extent the horn and percussion soloists. Parts of the full orchestra sections are a little bombastic, but not to the point of self-parody. It doesn't seem to me to have anything quite like the intensely distorted rhythmic passages of Turangalila, but it's full of really nice passages that only Messaien could have produced, particulary with some of the tuned percussion and piano sections. The bonus on the 2-CD set that I have (CBS Masterworks) is that it includes two other, smaller, but at least as good (and probably better), works: Oiseaux Exotiques (1956) and Couleurs de la Cite Celeste (1963) It's definitely worth a listen to get your own take on it. and there are no doubt Messiaen scholars greater than I who recognize subtler values in the piece. --crawtome bob pence
From: thesubtlebody <thesubtlebody@yahoo.com> To: zorn-list@mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: Chung's Messiaen Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 10:18:49 -0800 (PST)
While there's discussion of Messiaen, has anyone heard "Des Canyons Aux Etoiles", particularly the recording just (re)issued by Montaigne? I'm curious if this is a remarkable composition among Messiaen's others. I've never heard much about it.
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np: Sofia Gubaidulina, "Viola Concert" (D-G, 20/21)
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