Dan Schmidt ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>I find Messiaen to be a really interesting case.  He can be alternately
>hyper-emotional (e.g., parts of Turangalila) and very cold and precise
>(e.g., parts of Turangalila).

Very nicely put Dan.

>I usually have little patience for emotional outpourings in music, being
>of Stravinskian temperament in that respect, but for some reason Messiaen's
>over-the-top-ness (sample performance direction: "avec un grand joie")
>works for me.

Or the movement titles in Turangalila: Joie de Sang des Etoiles (Joy
of the Blood of the Stars).

This is one of my very favourite 20th century orchestral works, OTT or not.
In fact you can go VERY OTT and still pull it off - the NYO under IIRC Mark
Elder gave it at the Proms c1985 - I only heard the broadcast but it was
electrifying, and the young players really put everything into it - in the
finale the only word for the Ondes Martenot is that old jazz term
"wailing".

Deryk Barker
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