St. Sulpice Paris Pipe Organ Dupré Plays Messiaen

[shaudee67]

Your description is entirely accurate. I'm researching some of the unknown composers for the performances given every year at the Church of the Ascension in NYC and this composer, who I am unfamiliar with, was given a glowing recommendation in the program guide. I'm glad I'm checking his music out now, I will NOT be paying for or attending this particular concert!

[ears61]

Dear Dupre is slightly rushing, maybe because he didn't get the staccato sounding like drops of water - very short. I think he goes a little mental for a bit toward the end too. I had people to a recital last night who were born before OM and played this.

Both treated it like I regarded Indian pickled lemon at first.

[gayforlife2020]

I used to own this recording, and consider it nearly perfect: the tempo can fluctuate depending on where you play it, and why. As far as Messiaen - the story above is really funny. The bird calls can become annoying. "La Nativite" is also very accessible, as you say - and we are lucky to still have it. peace to you.

[antonis3434]

Very nice !

[OrganNLou]

His music was indeed the beginning of a new language, still mis understood but greatly appreciated by some!

[wupperfeld]

Marcel Dupré plays Olivier Messiaen - amazing - wonderful.

Maybe it can be played a little bit more slowly.

My father played this piece also very often - also while having sacrament in worship.

This piece touched very deeply.

Many Thanks for this historical video.

[baldwalrus7]

This reminds me of Holst's "Saturn" (The bringer of old age)... Frozen time

[skinnyblinddude]

Speaking of Holst's Planets, Peter Sykes transcribed it for organ and it is available on CD. Messiaen's works are so dark and haunting. I love the way they make me feel. I find them very relaxing and enjoy falling to sleep to them.

[britandveg]

Love Messiaen. Love Dupre. It all sounds wonderful.

[daniel15671]

I do have to confess that the organ music of Messiaen is a little less immediately appealing to me than his piano music. I think it's easier on the piano to capture the dynamic movement that undergirds all that meditation.

[EccentricRichard]

@daniel15671 - and yet the organ music is so much more expansive, expressive, diverse and rewarding than the somewhat repetitive Vingt Regards, for example... I would dare to suggest that those who don't get Messiaen at all either haven't listened enough or have closed their minds.

[daniel15671]

@EccentricRichard

That may well be true. I was more making a statement about myself than I was making a statement about Messiaen's music. It may simply be that I approach Messiaen's organ through my pianistic sensibilities.

And not to be argumentative, but I don't find the Vingt Regardes to be all that repetitive. But I am much more devoted to the Catalogue d'oiseaux and the Petites esquisses d'oiseaux.

[jamesaellis]

song of freedom? whats that never heard of that. what did he write it for. organ, chorus? mind you only the other day i discoverd his song of the deported for chorus and orchestra. its on here and worth checking out. quite loud mind. as always him good old messiaen!

[2lipsonmy0rgan]

Imagine, this is his organ-teacher (Dupré) playing a work of his student (O.M.)... Whow!

[a55b47]

Messiaen: either you love him or you don't understand his appeal. Put me in the latter category ;-)

[jamesaellis]

@a55b47 Thats a shame :(

[2ndbaronet]

i heard OM's 'song of freedom' on bbc radio 3 the other day and was very moved by it.

[2lipsonmy0rgan]

I very much like this interpretation, one should not apply such purist standards.

[jamesaellis]

this is his year people (born 100 years ago). embrace his music. you dont have to have any faith to enjoy his work. i saw his opera in amsterdam. a life changing expericne. and immseeing it agian in london at the PROMS. but listen to turangalila his best work. so seductive.........

[jamesaellis]

this is an accessible work but alss try his La Merle Nior for piano and flute only 5 mins. and for those you are ready for the power of his scores listen to his Et Expecto;. Never has a gong been used so much.

[jamesaellis]

as with messiaen things should be longer. even this work he could make 1 min. longer. writing a 4 hour opera or the longest work ever written for piano and orchestra (des canyons aux etioles) ever he does is huge in scale and length!!!!!...............

[jamesaellis]

does any one have another vesrion to put on. to compare.

[a55b47]

I posted one several months ago: Alec Wyton playing at St. John the Divine in NYC (See Related Videos when this one pops up). Almost identical tempo (which some commenters - ahem -- seem to think is way too fast).

[jamesaellis]

this must be doen slower. no buts. adds to its impact.

[jamesaellis]

I would go as far to say that it is the best organ miniture ever written. Full Stop.

[NortheastOrganist]

The original published edition of 193(2?) had it in 3/4. The 1960 revision has it in 3/2. I don't know exactly when he revised it that way, but it stresses the instruction at the beginning of taking it "tres lent, extatique."

[a55b47]

Thanks, Tikhvin. I couldn't have said it better myself ;-). I think Messiaen is just one of those composers you either get or don't get -- & I (for the most part) don't get.

[rlpat88]

I agree. I don't really get it either.

[organboi]

I have to say, you're really asking for it when you publicly say all you "got" was 1+1/2 of bird calls. Here's your first comment expressing dismay at your story of the DC premiere. What were the 10,000 of you expecting that day? You were uneducated. This is music of the utmost spiritual power to uplift. You don't understand it. These are the sounds of the worlds beyond. Listen to "Apparition of the Cathedral" especially. You all missed a great opportunity because you had expectations. LISTEN.

[rrchapman]

@organboi It could have been 1.5 hours of bird calls. While there is nothing wrong with "Oiseaux Exotiques," and I happen to enjoy them, they don't have the same feeling or depth of Vision of the Church Eternal.

I could see where someone expecting mind-blowing images from music to be disappointed, if this is what he heard. Note that he didn't give up on Messiaen.

[NortheastOrganist]

I don't judge him; I judge his performance. It's not the best performance of this piece.

[NortheastOrganist]

The piece is being taken WAY too fast. WAY too fast.

[Sesquiltera]

dummy, judging Dupre on this work is like saying Mozart wrote too many notes in the zauberflote.

[md95065]

Wow - that really *is* fast.

Dupré gets through it in just over 5 minutes while Messiaen takes about 7 minutes 20 seconds in his own recording of it.

Absolutely wonderful to be able to hear Dupré at Ste Sulpice, though - my teacher studied with Dupré and I grew up playing Bach from the now hopelessly unfashionable Dupré editions ...

[willington]

Strange piece, but nice. I wonder where the equipment was, because i don't hear the reverb that St. Sulpice has.

[a55b47]

Most earlier organ recordings had mic-placement problems.Listen to Carbou's early recordings of Cochereau @ Notre Dame.Sounds as if the mic was 12" in front of the facade.Likewise Virgil @ Riverside.That room had about as much reverb as my living room, so mic placement wasn't quite as important.But he was mic'ed EXTREMELY closely.

[burtj78]

Messiaen music is definitely different no doubt. I love his music for the most part. But I can't listen to the organ pieces except for this one and a few others. But the rest of his music, I think, C'est magnifique!

[a55b47]

I'm with you on the compositions. If I had to pick one favorite composer, he'd be it. Or maybe Poulenc. Or Ravel. What is it about these French guys? ;-)

[a55b47]

Well, I'll be sure to tell Marcel.

[orgel12]

I loved your story about the Messiaen concert. I have the same reaction to his music. Thankyou for posting the video, though.

[a55b47]

Muslador, thanks for the advice. I may be too old a dog to learn these new tricks ;-)