Their shining brightness takes one back to Berlioz… Messiaen is a full-fledged romantic. In spite of this length and their complexity, their sounds are… nowhere muddy in color and always sonorous. Liking it or not is of no matter Messiaen’s music has a vibrancy that anybody who cares to can be aware of… Messiaen’s pieces are mostly quite long… and their textures are complex. They do not sound familiar their textures – rhythmic, harmonic, instrumental – are fresh and strong… It is not possible to come in contact with any of his major productions without being aware that one is in the presence of a major talent. “What strikes one right off on hearing almost any of pieces is the power they have of commanding attention. Virgil Thomson on the music of Olivier Messiaen: Orchestration: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, cornet, piccolo trumpet, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (bass drum, chimes, Chinese cymbals, cymbals, maracas, snare drum, tabor, tambourine, tam-tam, temple blocks, triangle, wood block), celesta, ondes martenot, piano, and stringsįirst Los Angeles Philharmonic performance: December 14, 1972, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting.
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