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Another little-known Messiaen masterwork

mianfei | 11/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Amongst Olivier Messiaen's canon, there are a great many little-known pieces of at least as much passion, drama and emotion as his best-known works. Harawi is one example, "Trois Petites Liturgies De La Presence Divine" is perhaps even better.



Designed as a short meditation of the Roman Catholic liturgy, "Trois Petites Liturgies De La Presence Divine" really is a remarkable work of dramatic, ecstatic structure created by the classic Messiaen piano line which is one of the most distinctive trademarks of any composer. There are many parts in the three sections of this piece where there is very little piano and the quiet celesta produces some really touching melodies.



The voices here are, however, what makes "Trois Petites Liturgies De La Presence Divine" such an essential listen. They almost sound like singers in the most passionate, emotional prayer imaginable, and the feeling their simple, yet melodic harmonies create is actually enhanced by the fact that they are in an incomprehensible language. Moreover, the voices almost seem like the most passionate angels compared to the pomposity of so many classical singers I used to hear on my mother's records or the ABC. All in all, "Trois Petites Liturgies De La Presence Divine" is a rela treat and it was remarkably luck that I found it.



The second part of this two-CD set consists of Messiaen himself performing "Meditations sur le Mystere de la Sainte Trinite". As Messiaen was a performer in churches throughout his life as a composer, it is interesting to hear him actually playing. Strangely, his performances of this intense, but very dense and slow-burning music are not quite so inaccessible even as the longer performances of his organ works by Latry, let alone those by Jennifer Bate which was the first classical music I ever seriously listened to and are extremely challenging for the beginner to classical music.



The first part alone would recommend this collection, and the second part should whet your appetite. Messiaen, as shown here, composed truly emotional and mystical music that deserves and requires serious listening, but is still reasonably accessible to those with little experience of "serious" music."