Messiaen L'Ascension, for solo organ Part One

[TheYorkshireJack]

I love this, but some of the comments remind me of my head of musics' opinion of Messiaen "someone could write more melodic music if they took to the organ wearing skis and mittens" :P

[richardpablop]

Esto es ruido!

[MegaDani141]

WHAT AN BIG ORGAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O_o

[rematpac]

This sounds too good for a post-war work,so I assume it can't be.Please correct me if I'm wrong possibly,but I seriously doubt it.

[rematpac]

@Shredlord12345 (???) The fact that it turns out I was correct proves that it couldn't have been too seriously ignorant of a comment.

[Shredlord12345]

@rematpac I apologize. I misunderstood your first post. I thought you were trying to say that no good music was written after world war 2 thus I called you an ignorant prick lol. Again, I apologize...

[rematpac]

@Shredlord12345 Thanx.

[karnevilj]

@rematpac You haven't been correct since the 17th century. Give the world a rest.

[leedshunk]

@rematpac why don't you check his opus dates the you will know !!!

[merobots]

The flicks of the head are cracking me up!

[Tajoumaru]

I'm always in awe of Messiaen's work. It's like discovering a whole new world.

[DoctorPatient]

Dude! WTF?

were you rushing to catch a plane?

were you double-parked outside?

you gave this magnificent piece zero time to breathe, zero time for us to appreciate the beautiful complexities of your otherwise excellent playing ... I just don't get it ... you deprived it (and us) of the drama the composer built into the composition

[ds1868]

@DoctorPatient He's playing at the right tempo for the venue. The acoustic in the Royal Albert Hall is virtually nil and it's hard work to bring anything 'alive' in the auditorium. But then the Victorians knew or cared little for such nuances. It's not the best organ for Messiaen either (it's actually not very good for any music) so it's best to paper over the cracks, deliver the performance, and then get the fuck out of there.

[3dwurli]

@ds1868 The original acoustic was much different from this. It was changed using the -domes- which hang from the ceiling to cut the reverberation period down. The organ sounds much different from what it did originally, Harrison and Harrisons have been in there a few times since Willis originally built it.

[ds1868]

@3dwurli Harrisons no longer look after the organ. Manders now look after it and after the major rebuild of 2002-04 it was decided to remove the internal roof of the organ, which helped to project the sound forward. This was particuarly helpful for the Pedal section, which is at the back of the organ and was directly under the roof. I also thought the 'mushrooms' were there to help the ambience in the Hall, so I don't understand your comment at all.

[3dwurli]

@ds1868 the -mushrooms- were put in place to cut down the reverberation in the room.

[bsgoddard]

But he makes it look so easy!!

[cbhbklyn]

It is the 3rd movment: Transports de joie dune âme devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne.

[fremsley001]

I heard Larry Adler playing an arrangement of this for mouth organ. He got to bar 3 then his cheeks exploded.

[MrAlex413x]

love the ending when the pedal comes in, is the 32" used here at all ? any1 know

thankz

[ds1868]

Yep it's being used but the 32' Pedal reed is not particularly effective - the scaling is not up to it, or rather the removal of the roof within the organ (which used to project the sound of the Pedal department forward into the auditorium) has handicapped thus and the whole Pedal department. In contrast, the Great reeds situated to the right of the organ case are totally ott, and will scare you to death if you sit anywhere near them!!

[MrAlex413x]

haha very gd thank you for that i was just wndering thts all

is there a video on youtube of this organ on full force? like everything going pipe wise

[thomasmoredamian]

Ummmmmmmmmm....anyone interested in talking about the MUSIC, rather than the instrument the music is played on? Messiaen was quite an outstanding composer, not only of music for the organ, but of vocal, orchestral and chamber music, as well. Look up other works by this man, and his oeuvre will blow you mind...

[1401JSC]

Noone can ever know what Willis would think about this instrument!

In any case, since the installation of "flying saucers" a few decades ago, the over-resonant acoustic of this gigantesque elliptical building has been greatly modified.

[TrompenCham167]

I would much prefer the organ of Westminster Cathedral to this instrument because this instrument has no character - its just very big and very loud. The origonal Father Willis must have sounded superb, but now, it has been really butchered. Such a shame.

[advisorC101]

Like so many other masterpieces from the romantic era........

[Aaronorganist19]

I can tell u 2 facts About this organ.

When Mander Organs Come to Rebuilt the organ Inside. They was told that they wanted the organ Brought Forward more to the chamber Of the concert hall and the pedal reeds Pushed back. Mander Did this but was not happy. The reeds ware made more High Pressure Great and swell was. Solo was made more Power Behide the Tuba and meny other reeds. Before enyone touched that organ Father willis would of been mad the way it is done and sounds now. God rest his soul

[OwizzleSpindles]

He only played the final two movements, which doesn't help with the ending. Hearing the 4 movts as a whole makes it easier to understand the ending.

[dannypurtell]

i was at this Prom

it was great

During this you could actually feel the ground underneath you shaking it was wicked

[TrompenCham167]

I have had the opportunity to play this organ and I can certainly conclude that some parts of this organ really are too loud for this space. Even the great reeds are extremely loud (harmonic trumpets). The wind pressures are too high I think. Any questions?

[ds1868]

I agree. A sensible balance between registers AND divisions was not achieved during the recent rebuild. The Great reeds are apocalyptic, searing infact, whereas the Pedal (despite the impressive spec) is woefully underpowered. One reason is that the roof inside the organ was removed - this used to push sounds forward and helped the Pedal reeds, especially the Double Ophecleide, which is 'weedy'. Up to mf the oragn is ok, go beyond f and it's crap. And all at a cost of £1.75 million!

[bachprofessore]

I would like to hear it in Notre-Dame, this organ has such a weak pedal - Latry made the best of it.

[larrytherangerdog]

Latry recorded the complete works of Messiaen at notre dame. you can find it on itunes. in fact, i downloaded this piece awhile back.. it sounds incredible :)

[larrytherangerdog]

agreed!

[westcath]

This is the only organ I have heard that can completely drown out an entire orchestra!

Great playing as always from Latry

[TrompenCham167]

The organ sounds great with an orchestra but yes, it can easily drown it out and some of the reed choruses (Gt. Trombas, Harmonic Trumpets, Swell Chorus Trumpets, Tubas etc. I could go on forever!). Personally, I think the organ is too loud for the space.

[ds1868]

The second largest Organ in Great Britain. Confined as it is in a comparatively small place, this Organ packs a punch. Thanks for posting!

[lustful2]

One of the problems of playing this work here is the full organ is devastating ! This can spoil the clarity of playing. Organist's who I know have played here at the Albert Hall have said how loud everything is the great organ and solo in particular. I still wonder why so many Organist's allow this movement to sound as if there giving some virtuoso cadenza like passages. Joy yes but not played in such a way that u don't hear all the correct notes and clarity of playing.

[rockpunch]

Indeed this is the third movement. Latry's playing of this piece fills me with a sense of elation. Messiaen's organ music is by far his best, and his mastery of these intense harmonies is simply divine.

[jamesaellis]

this is the third movement. i belive

[Rui02Senor]

Wonderful!!!!

[chromascapes]

Thank you for posting this! Haven't heard this piece in ages. And I've been a big Latry fan ever since I had the good fortune to hear him live in 2007.