Search - Olivier Messiaen, London Sinfonietta, Paul Crossley :: Olivier Messiaen: Des Canyons aux Etoiles; Oiseaux Exotiques; Couleurs de la Cité Celeste

Olivier Messiaen, London Sinfonietta, Paul Crossley
Olivier Messiaen: Des Canyons aux Etoiles; Oiseaux Exotiques; Couleurs de la Cité Celeste
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
1. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 1, Le Desert
2. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 2, Les Orioles
3. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 3, Le Qui est ecrit sur les etoiles
4. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 4, Le Cossyphe d'heuglin
5. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 5, Cedar Breaks et le don de crainte
6. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 6, Appel interstellaire
7. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 7, Bruce Canyon et les rochers rouge-oran
8. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 8, Les Ressuscites et le chant de l'Etoil
9. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 9, Le Moqueur plyglotte
Track Listings (5) - Disc #2
1. Oiseaux exotiques, for piano, 11 winds & 7 percussion, I/41
2. Couleurs de la cité céleste, for piano, 13 winds & 6 percussion, I/46
3. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 10, La Grive des bois
4. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 11, Omao, leiothrix, elepaio, shama
5. Des canyons aux étoiles..., for piano, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel & orchestra, I/51: No. 12, Zion Park et la cite celeste

Larger Image

CD Details

All Artists: Olivier Messiaen, London Sinfonietta, Paul Crossley
Title: Olivier Messiaen: Des Canyons aux Etoiles; Oiseaux Exotiques; Couleurs de la Cité Celeste
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Sony
Release Date: 6/23/1989
Genre: Classical
Style: Chamber Music
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 074644476224

Synopsis

Amazon.com

"From the canyons to the stars" is Olivier Messiaen's musical vision of the sights and sounds (birdcalls in particular) of the American West. If you've ever been to Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon, then this musical travelogue will certainly stimulate your memory. Messiaen's musical language in all of these works is unique. You won't find conventional melody or harmony, but it is colorful and consistent, and he's just as likely to use lovely, consonant harmonies as nasty dissonant ones. Once you understand that the purpose of his music is almost purely descriptive, your own imagination takes over and it becomes fascinating and enjoyable--which is a good description of these fine performances. --David Hurwitz

Similar CDs

	Jean Sibelius, Lorin Maazel, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 6 Genre: Classical Label: Sony
?

	Chicago Mass Choir Just Having Church Live Genres: Pop, Gospel Label: New Haven
?

	Ion Future Forever Genre: Dance & Electronic
?

	Shooglenifty Venus in Tweeds Genres: Folk, International Music, New Age, Pop Label: Greentrax
?

	Andrew W.K. Close Calls With Brick Walls Genres: Rock, Metal Label: Universal
?

CD Reviews

Beauty ¤ lies not in scale passages

M. Ziolkowski | Atlanta/Chicago | 08/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Des Canyons is a beautiful & transcendently absorbing score, one which is emerging as the archetype in Messiaen's canon -- his best & best-loved. Leave the notoriously difficult score on the shelf and listen. This, its only available recording until recently, is wonderfully recorded and lovingly executed. May not appeal to all sensibilities, but I can't help believing that anyone with affinity for the beauties of nature will feel rewarded tuning their ears towards Messiaen's landscapes."

Music of brilliant colour and contemplative beauty

DMG | Swindon UK | 09/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Valuable compilation, with Messiaen's late(well, later) masterpiece, the longest piece for piano and orchestra in the orchestral repertoire the main work, and the shorter, but no less excellent OISEAUX EXOTIQUES and COULEURS DE LA CITE CELESTE. CANYONS is one of the composers most unusual scores (and that's saying a lot!) with its part for wind machine, its piano part of rushes of birdsong, and the weird effects on the cellos in movement no.5 jst some of the highlights. OISEAUX is one of Messiaen's most succesful 'birdsong pieces', in which he invented an almost entirely new musical language, alternating blocks of transcribed birdsong. COULEURS is all glittering colours, with the virtuosic tinklings of piano, xylophones and percussion contrasted or should that be complemented with rich brass chords and the sound of 3 clarinets.The performance comes out as just a little too clinical and polished, bringing out the percussive twang to the music better than the richly contemplative moments, but it is still very good.PS-This excellent release has recently been re-issued as part of Sony's Essential Classics series at a bargain price. The presentation is completely adequarte, with Paul Crossley's marvellous notes, and at £9.99 for 2 CDs, it's a must buy."