Search - Olivier Messiaen, Myung-Whun Chung, Bastille Opera Orchestra :: Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila-Symphonie

Great performance of a true musical oddity

V. Wilson | Cambridge, MA United States | 02/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To get an idea what this piece is like, imagine Ravel and ayoung Stravinsky (about the time of Le Sacre du Printemps) trying totop each other in a contest to produce the most fantastic piece. The result is a huge, rhythmically-dynamic piece with overly-opulent orchestration and near cinematic themes which has become Messiaen's most played piece. (It's nowhere near his best piece, however, and the Amazon review is wrong to call it a masterpiece.)Despite the heavy layering of elements, it is not that difficult a piece to understand, however. Reading the excellent notes on this release will give you an idea what to listen for, and if all else fails you can just bathe in the wash of blissful sounds.This performance contains a few minor bobbles (not surprising in such a piece) but overall catches the rapturous overkill of the piece. Messiaen speaks of joy when describing this piece, and Chung gives us alot of that along with a keen attention to detail. The sound is great, but, like alot of complex 20th century pieces, the better your stereo system, the more you're apt to hear.Overall, not the only piece you'd want on a desert island--unless you intend to die in rhapsodic bliss six hours after arriving--but fun nonetheless. And this is the recording to have. END"

Amazing!

kelsie | Plainview, Texas United States | 05/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of the Turangalila Symphonie, which bears Messiaen's imprimatur, surely rests with the finest achievements of the century. The work is one of astonishing complexity, more akin to a fantastic piano concerto or showcase for the ondes martenot than a symphony. Cast into ten movements, the work seeks to portray, in Messiaen's own words, "[an] all at once love song, hymn to joy, time, movement, rhythm, life, and death." Widely touted as his seminal work, the symphony comes to life in this vivid and electrifying reading by Myung-Whun Chung. The recording is less perfect than others, but retains the fire and excitement of the piece faithfully. The ondes martenot, in particular, sounds mellow and soft, rather than strong and commanding. Despite some minor flaws, the reading is amazing, and, being recorded in Messiaen's presence, with his wife and sister-in-law on the piano and ondes martenot, it gives us a definitive account of what Messiaen himself would have wanted us to hear. The work bursts with life and energy, as befits a piece whose title can be loosely translated from the Sanskrit as meaning "speed of life." This particular disc has received wide accolades from several reputable sources, including "The Rough Guide to Classical Music" and "The Penguin Guide." As an advocate of 20th century music, I consider this piece and this reading essential. The two negative reviews on this site are disappointing in their ignorance, and I sincerely hope you won't let them steer you away from this beautiful and amazing work!"

Chung wins big

John Harrington | anywhere, USA | 01/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To my knowledge, Messiaen never met a recording he wouldn't endorse, but this really is a superb recording of what is Messiaen's best known and perhaps best loved work. Chung approaches the score with the attention to fine detail that a complex 20th century score deserves while attaining the sweep and grandeur necessary to make this truly romantic work sing like only it can. Francis Bacon said that in every beauty there is some proportion of strangeness. This beauty fell to earth from the stars, an alien--weird, startling, but wholly organic and fetching in its own chillingly unique way. Who can listen to Jardin du sommeil d'amour and fail to be touched? Chung brings a delicacy and spirituality to the whole that will leave you mesmerized and the contributions of Yvonne and Jeanne Loriod could not be more expert or authentic--no soloists know this score as they do, surely. This is one of the most successful of Chung's DG Messiaen recordings, and that's saying something."