Olivier Messiaen, Couleurs de la Cité Celeste, part 2

Part 2

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Messiaen
• Boulez
• 20th
• century
• avantgarde
• classical
• music
• classics

[TheBlackPage1]

Thanks for uploading! It's a shame Messiaen's centenary was a little outshadowed by Carter's (though I believe they had a big celebration of his music in Paris). I'm not too sure about "serial" Messiaen, but this is certainly a great experiment in instrumental colour. Very evocative of its title.

[GreggaryPeccary]

Outshadowed??? Take a look at the Royal Festival hall in London, it's a huge, huge event! PL Aimard is artistic festival director and they're having a year-long centenary festival where all the heavyweights show up. For some reason England, London particularly, celebrates him HUMONGOUSLY. I'm not so sure either about serial Messiaen, I don't even think HE was. Still interesting to watch "Modes de valeur.." by NewmusicXX, to see what the rage was all about.

[TheBlackPage1]

Oh! Okay, sorry I didn't realize. I think I have all my info totally wrong, probably just because I've been focusing on Carter (was at his centenary concert last night it was amazing!) , but I was also under the impression this was one of Messiaen's serial pieces..

[GreggaryPeccary]

His serial pieces were just a brief phase. I don't think he used those techniques on a grander orchestral scale. He never embraced what his descendants and pupils did with total serialism. Basically, "Modes de valeur..." was what the hype was about, which sounds pretty crappy if you ask me, but Boulez and his kin adopted the technique and did something proper with it

[flibbertergibbet]

@TheBlackPage1 Mate, wrong way round! It was Carter's that was massively overshadowed by Messiaen's, I'm afraid. Pity, since I enjoy Carter's music.

In London, we hardly heard any Carter, but the Proms did Messiaen's complete orchestral and choral works, I think.

[jamesaellis]

more was done before his 100th b day than after!