Messiaen

[nikolas]

Ok there are so many pieces by him, don't know what to choose...

but just found a video recording from the Vingt Regards (No.10) for solo piano in youtube.

It's SO much worth the time to watch it! you should go blind, deaf, weirdo, crazy, after wacthing that video! In the idea that there is someone in the world that plays such music, and another one (used to be) that writes such music! and the you will hate yourself that you can't do that! And then you will start drugs, cigarettes, whores, and the rest!

AMAZING STUFF!

Oh! the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEtA6vWhKo0&mode=related&search= (No. 10)

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMAIag5IPDg&mode=related&search= (No.6, also unbelievable!)

I am on my way in 10 hours to get the scores in my hands :D as well as everything else I can find from MEssiaen! (And yes, of course I know about more works, just wanted to concetrate on those two...)

go on...

discuss...

[DallasComposer]

Thanks for sharing Nik .... what gets me is how that stuff is all written out and this guys actually memorizes all of it! ... holy cow!

Great stuff!

[V o n h ö g e n]

Ok there are so many pieces by him, don't know what to choose...

If you need an "easy-going" introduction to Messiaen's art, I recommend you to listen to the following works:
- his early preludes for piano or his sonata for violin & piano (which both give a good indication of the tradition in which he stood)
- his famous "Quator pour la fin du temps"
- "Les Corps Glorieux" for organ
- "Visions de l'amen" for two piano's and the Vingt Regards for piano solo
- the exuberant "Turangalila Symphony"

After that, you could move on to the "less accessable" repertoire like:
- four rhythmic studies (very interesting, if you consider the historical context)
- the huge and remarkable Catalogue des Oiseaux
- the opera "St. Francois d'Assisi"
- his final organ cycle, of which I forgot the name right now ("Livre du ..."?)

(...) the idea that there is someone in the world that plays such music, and another one (used to be) that writes such music!

As a matter of fact, he was married to the great Yvonne Loriod who played all his piano works. By the way, there is a filmed performance of Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod playing the "Visions de l'Amen" together in black and white.

I believe he even performed the violin sonata with his first wife on several occasions before she died.

Jerome

[nikolas]

hoketus:

what I meant is that I don't know what to post here, but luckily I run accross the above youtube videos. Not that I don't personally know messiaen or his works. ;)

Never the less the catalogue you posted might come in handy. :) So thanks for that (and indeed I have never heard about the opera... ;))

[josejherring]

... And then you will start drugs, cigarettes, whores, and the rest!

AMAZING STUFF!
.
http://www.inman.com/blogger/uploaded_images/pimpII-729976.jpg

Yeah baby. Messiaen is the good stuff.

[nickysnd]

you will hate yourself that you can't do that!
Oh no, you CAN do that, music like that it is quite easy to write, yet would be totally useless and not worthing the paper and the time spent on writing it.

What you (me, etc.) really CAN'T do is to write a piece like "Claire de lune", like the "alla turca" March, like "Fur Elise", "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", Bach's 1st Prelude from WTK, Paganini's 24 Capriccio, stuff like that... That's what is almost impossible to write, that is the sky composers rarely reach to. That is truly mind-blowing music. Being able to write that kind of pieces - THAT would be something to be proud of. Academic music of Messiaen sort is lame and easy to do - the 20th century is full of high-brow pretentious music like that, and very few people can really stand it. To me, those two pieces display a snobby self-obsession, no opening there, they are sort of convoluted into themselves - something like a snake eating its tail.

OTOH, that reminds me of the notes issue in an old discussion in another thread, where I was saying that the importance of notes in a piece of music is somewhat similar to the importance of letters in a Shakespeare (Ibsen, etc.) play. So I come back to my favorite question: is music made out of notes? Or, more to the point: do you have the feeling that these two pieces are made out of notes? 'Cause my feeling is that they are made out of much larger "gestures" (and I don't mean this particular pianist's bodily gestures)...

[nikolas]

I sure hope you won't mind me completely ignoring your post, nicky, will you? You know I like you and all that, but I will certainly not be dragged again into one of those discussions...

Cheers;)

[nickysnd]

Pity... Well then I think I'll join Jose and say -

Hallelujah brother, messy-an is da man!

303

[iMartin]

Oh no, you CAN do that, music like that it is quite easy to write, yet would be totally useless and not worthing the paper and the time spent on writing it.

What you (me, etc.) really CAN'T do is to write a piece like "Claire de lune", like the "alla turca" March, like "Fur Elise", "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", Bach's 1st Prelude from WTK, Paganini's 24 Capriccio, stuff like that... That's what is almost impossible to write, that is the sky composers rarely reach to. That is truly mind-blowing music. Being able to write that kind of pieces - THAT would be something to be proud of. Academic music of Messiaen sort is lame and easy to do - the 20th century is full of high-brow pretentious music like that, and very few people can really stand it. To me, those two pieces display a snobby self-obsession, no opening there, they are sort of convoluted into themselves - something like a snake eating its tail.

OTOH, that reminds me of the notes issue in an old discussion in another thread, where I was saying that the importance of notes in a piece of music is somewhat similar to the importance of letters in a Shakespeare (Ibsen, etc.) play. So I come back to my favorite question: is music made out of notes? Or, more to the point: do you have the feeling that these two pieces are made out of notes? 'Cause my feeling is that they are made out of much larger "gestures" (and I don't mean this particular pianist's bodily gestures)...

You are out on thin ice...have you ever even bothered to studiy the theory, ideas and visions of his music? His influences and use of "color" and "talea" from Indian and Indoneesian music?

Maybe you can "improvise" a result that in your ears is close to how you experince Messian but then you fake it. You can´t say it´s easy without taking his theories (and even his deeply religious background) into consideration.

[nikolas]

Matin, for Gods shake don't bite the bait!

It's not worth the discussiong, don't pollute this thread about Messiaen, with what Nicky is trying to put us into. Of course your right and all, but then again, a pity to get drugged there...

[nickysnd]

Well, Nikolas, you are right - a discussion is not worth it, unless it is a continuous eulogy. So, go on your drugging people into the Messiaen's amazing music, and don't let me drugging them into questioning the value of that superior high-brow music. What I intended was very dangerous, now I am happy for being prevented from doing such a thing. Congrats and thanks for thwarting my intentions to pollute your thread. Here (http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/29561.html) some food for thought.

iMartin, just wanted to mention, en passant, that my acquaintance with Messiaen and his music goes beyond your wildest assumptions. Thanks for the advice about not to assert the easiness of doing something before getting to know that something. I thought that the opposite was the right order, thanks for opening my eyes about that.

[iMartin]

Matin, for Gods shake don't bite the bait!

It's not worth the discussiong, don't pollute this thread about Messiaen, with what Nicky is trying to put us into. Of course your right and all, but then again, a pity to get drugged there...

Sorry, can´t help myself:p