Messiaen L'Ascension, for solo organ Part Two

[CavailleCollFanatic]

That was magnificent!

[juanmaMCMLXXXII]

¿¿Cómo es posible que haya alguien a quien no le haya gustado esto??

[fastmotorcycle]

Tho' not not a deeply religious person, and having as an organ builder heard

this music many times before, I now know what the first Olivier meant and

the second Olivier brought to me , deeply, ever so deeply. Music, raised and

elevated. Give Thanks!

[fremsley001]

During his incarceration in Stalag VIII-A in 1940, Messiaen arranged L'Ascension for paper and comb orchestra, but it was never performed because of the shortage of toilet paper. Much later on, Jess Yates and Rolf Harris help to popularise L'Ascension with versions for tremolo electric organ and Stylophone respectively.

(P-J Croset, "L'Ascension dans la Culture Moderne", Les Editions Gallimard, 1983, trans. B. Jarvis)

[ArnoldVroomans]

Bach and Messiaen are the two most important composers for organ music. They were the ones that were able to discover a complete new way of looking at the organ and making music. This is the best organist in the world playing some of the greatest music!

[fremsley001]

There is nothing more exciting than a swelling organ.

[ds1868]

This really shows off the RAH organ at its best. There are some issues with the recent restoration - the Great is too powerful, the Great reeds utterly dominate everything else. But the strings and flutes reveal the hidden gem in this instrument - they're as good as any French romantic organ, indeed if you close your eyes you could be in France, not London. Thanks for posting.

[ArnoldVroomans]

@ds1868 The reason is simple. Those are the original voices with the original voicing. It is Willis!

Unfortuantely the other stug has been revoiced by people with not enough respect for the original.

[ds1868]

@ArnoldVroomans The RAH organ is not a Willis. When rebuilt by Harrisons the Willis pipes were revoiced and a substantial number of Harrison pipes were added. When Manders restored the organ in 2002-04, they were asked if the Willis pipework could be restored to original condition. The answer was no. What you hear today is a 'hybrid' Harrisons organ, with much altered Willis pipework lurking underneath.

[goodchappy]

@ds1868 If you do not like the RAH organ, which organs in the UK would you say were good and for what reasons?

[ds1868]

@goodchappy I never said I 'did not like' the RAH organ. There are simply issues of 'balance' that the recent restoration has underlined. In England I would go for St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, and King's College Cambridge (the choir division here is the finest of its type in the world). But for the complete experience of the romantic genre, you need to go to France, and listen to St Sulpice in Paris and St Ouen in Rouen, Normandy.

[CBeaumontXylophone]

@ds1868 This movement suits this Organ perfectly. Most of the time, these beautiful smaller ranks of pipes are not heard, which is very sad. The second movement would be nice on this Organ as well.

[dannypurtell]

i was there :)

[arasharfa]

@dannypurtell stop coughing ;)

[11000001100000]

Lol at the pause before we realise that it's finished. :-)

[1401JSC]

Wonderful tuning of the celestes!

For once they beat regularly (about two and a half times each second) all the way up the keyboard.

What a liquid flute.

Scrumptious.

Please note the efficacity of the swell boxes in both these Ascension videos. Their walls are untra-thick and the shutters fit really tight.

[mauvetys]

This second part is divine! i love the end!

[headache70]

One of my favorite pieces by Messiaen. His organ stuff is superb

[joeyboi87]

i dont know why butter i have never really appreciated messiaens music

[jamesaellis]

messiaen was there in spirt

[julorg]

This is the fourth and last piece of the work.

[jamesaellis]

this is so very heart warming. cant wiat to hear the orchestral versio in cardiff this december on Messiaen's b day!

[jamesaellis]

we were treated to both version of L'Ascension the other being for orchestra conducted by messiaens pupil george benjamin

[Rui02Senor]

How well Latry's music speaks poetry!...

[chamade216]

Great ! Thanks for sharing !

[jschroeder1991]

he's the one and only :D:D