Olivier Messiaen Kent Nagano Dawn Upshaw - Messiaen Saint Franois dAssise van Dam Upshaw Nagano (61 tracks) +Album Reviews

Modern Opera at it's Finest

Thomas B Dawkins | 05/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Messiaen ranks very high on my list of favorite 20th century composers. Most of the reasons are those that he gives himself: his emphasis on emotion rather than calculation as the base of music (Messiaen was very anti-12-tone music as he finds it dry and impersonal, for the most part), and his exoticism. This comes through extremely well in this work and this recording, which features José van Dam (who sang in the Paris premiere) in the title role. Mr. van Dam announced that this performance of the work would be his last in the role, which was a wise decision as there is no way that he could possibly equal the strength with which he carries the role of a Saint. For an orchestra of over 110 pieces, including 3 ondes martenot, Nagano is the best possible choice as he keeps the music from being ponderous or dry with the caution often used to keep such large ensembles together. The music's intensely rhythmic side (as in the opening ritornelli for xylophone, marimba and wooden percussion) comes across beautifully crisp and dry. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the lyricism, including the scenes with Dawn Upshaw as the angel, is very fluid. The opera has moments of solemn faith as well as exuberance, both of which are equally strong forces.The work is intensely dramatic while never crossing the line into being Romantic. Although the orchestra is of Wagnerian dimension, the voice is always of primary importance. Much of the singing is unaccompanied, and many of the soliloquies have a monady-like quality that makes the language equal to the notes, and sometimes above. Although the music is intensely modern, the vocal parts harken back to Gregorian chant. The connection as far as the Catholic content is obvious. One of the greatest feats of this work is that Messiaen never attempts to reconstruct "divine" work using profane means; Christ is heard in the seventh scene but never seen, and His voice is that of the entire choir. When the angel plays the viol for St. Francis, it is not a violin solo or any other standard instrument, but an unworldly-sounding ondes martenot that carries the melody. I am not a religious person, yet while listening to this opera, I can appreciate in some small way the scope of Messiaen's faith and devotion. Listening to this work is a monumental experience, and the quality of this recording is the highest that can be had without being in the hall in Salzburg with the performers."

Beautiful music

W.G.J.. Braakhuis | Diemen, The Netherlands | 11/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I like this CD very much. Although the texts of this opera, if you can call it an opera, it looks more like an oratorium, are devoutly catholic, even in my opinion fundamentalist catholic, the music is suberb, rich and subtle. All as you expect from Messiaen, who I think, is along with Stravinsky and Ligeti one of the greatest composers of this almost gone century. In some parts there is a great building tension which makes for exemple the kiss of St. Francis of a Leper and the healingof that leper -for non believers non-event of childish, 19th centery catholic believe- a great drama of wagnerian magtitude. The texts contrasts in my opinion stark with the music which is modern, eventfull and new. Messiaen makes you believe in the story and the grace of God on St. Francis even if you are not a catholic or do not believe in a God at all and that's what a makes him geat artist. If only fundamentalists of other Religions could make their believes in such a rich music, the world could be a better place."

Not easy but a must

lampros | 08/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not an easy opera. It is important to keep this in mind. A good amount of effort will be needed in order to enjoy this music, especially if you are not fond on modern classical music or of the music composed by Messiaen. After saying this, if you are still interested in this kind of music, i got to say this is an impressive opera-. Don't expect passion like in the italian operas or lots of sound like Strauss but slowness and spirituality. It seems that nothing happens but when you enter into the opera you'll feel the hipnotical quality of the music and the introvertion that keeps going on along the opera. There are some really extraordinary moments such as when Saint Francis meets his angel when you can have an insight of Heavens. Well, that's what Messiaen tries to do it and he really gets it. The belgium baritone Van Damn is extrordinary as saint Francis, altough i still the old Orfeo performance with Fischer Dieskau. Some of the other singer, altough, are not french native speakers and you feel the difference. I mean, lots of times they don't sound french at all. The american conductor Nagano was a close friend of the composer and they worked together on this score, so he knows perfectly well the score ( i want to make clear i'm not a great fan of Nagano, he is at his best here but i think this score really deserves a better conductor). Saint Francis has been a legend for many years. It's an opera that any really opera lover should, at least, know. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know this difficult but wonderful work."

Mind-blowing

Bassoonut | Mountain Home, AR USA | 02/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a lover of opera, Messiaen and 20th century music in general, this was a natural choice for me; after wanting it for years I finally got it for Christmas. I finished it after over a week of listening to one of the eight tableaux at a time; as many reviewers have already said, that is probably the best way to listen to it. It's hard to swallow in one big gulp.

You see, everything about this piece is huge. Messiaen spent four years composing and another four orchestrating it and used every trick in his book, from palindrome and Greek rhythms to invented scales to birdsong. It is scored for seven soloists, an orchestra of 119 (7474-4633, three ondes Martenot, strings, and no less than 41 percussion instruments distributed among five players), and a choir of 150. There are sections in the score in which the conductor has to read upwards of 70 staves in which everybody is doing something different. The score itself comes in eight softcover volumes-one for each of the eight tableaux--on oversized paper and tips the scale at a total of just over fifty pounds. If you want a copy of the score, you'll have to fork over from $250 to $350 each for individual volumes and about $2,500 for the whole thing.

(I will say this, however. Although it seems to be every reviewer's favorite subject, the length of four hours is not unusual for opera. Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro", for example, tends to clock in at just over three; Wagner's operas tend to go from three to four and a half hours and Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" lasts for three and a half. Why, the original version of Glass' "Einstein on the Beach" goes for nearly five!)

My point is that, in spite of all of this size, there are many ways in which the opera is almost minimalist, and that is why it is hard to listen to all at once.

You see, it has been common practice since Stravinsky to use repetition in place of traditional melodic development, but Messiaen takes it to the extreme in this piece. Each character has at least two motives; a great deal of the score is made up of the repetition, alteration and superposition of such. Because of this and his quasi-atonal harmonic language, you can be anywhere from five minutes to an hour or two into it and it'll feel as though the music hasn't gone anywhere. This "static" quality is typical of Messiaen's music, but it's very prominent here and makes for a difficult listening.

Once you get into it, however, the opera plays much like a Marcel Proust novel in that it is immensely rewarding and worth every ounce of effort put into it. I would recommend it for any fan of 20th century opera, or, indeed, for any music lover with an open mind.

As far as this particular performance is concerned, it really doesn't get much better. Kent Nagano, one of the better conductors now living, studied the score with the composer before his death and participated in the premiere performance; thus this is about as musically accurate of a recording of this monster as you're going to get. José van Damm is one of the greatest baritones to ever live, and his performance here is no less than phenomenal. Dawn Upshaw's silky, sweet voice is perfect for the role of the angel and she sings with a beautiful rendition of the often difficult French accent. One of the ondistes is none other than Jeanne Loriod, one of Messiaen's in-laws and who has participated on nearly every ondes Martenot-featuring recording of Messiaen's.

The orchestra's tackling of the inhumanly difficult score is no less than stellar, and the recording's engineering is nearly miraculous. It's hard to believe that it's live!

It doesn't get much better than this, folks. You don't even have to be religious; I myself am an athiest. If you love Messiaen, if you love 20th century opera, or if you just love music and are open-minded, this is a well-spent $60."

For open minded music lovers

lampros | 03/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is, if you like modern classical music, a must have.Like an earlier reviwer said too... I usually not like Naganos conducting but he is VERY good here and this is def. not an easy piece to conduct. Every singer then is doing a fantastic job even if they not at all sound so french all the times but it doesnt matter.Conducting, sound, singing, music and choir is at top level so dont hesitate to buy this opera. One of Messiaens greatest works."

Search - Olivier Messiaen, Kent Nagano, Dawn Upshaw :: Messiaen: Saint François d'Assise / van Dam, Upshaw, Nagano

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