Messiaen: Turangalîla Symphonie

Turangalila-Symphonie

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908-1992)

Ondine ODE 1251-5

Angela Hewitt is the piano soloist on this Ondine recording (Hybrid SACD) of Olivier Messiaen’s mammoth Turangalîla-Symphonie, played by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hannu Lintu. The ondes martenot soloist is Valérie Hartmann-Claverie.

“This is a performance of distinctive, evocative character, full of pertinent, dramatic incident and structured with confidence and vigour.”
The Daily Telegraph

Turangalîla Symphonie (75:03)

1. Introduction Modéré, un peu vif (6:32)

2. Chant d’amour 1 Modéré, lourd (8:02)

3. Turangalîla 1 Presque lent, rêveur (5:23)

4. Chant d’amour 2 Bien modéré (10:19)

5. Joie du Sang des Étoiles Vif, passionné avec joie (6:11)

6. Jardin du Sommeil d’amour Très modéré, très tendre (9:52)

7. Turangalîla 2 Un peu vif, bien modéré (3:52)

8. Développement d’amour Bien modéré (11:37)

9. Turangalîla 3 Bien modéré (5:37)

10. Final Modéré, presque vif, avec une grande joie (7:32)

Turangalîla is a symphony of love, but also much more. The composer himself described his symphony with the following words: “Turangalîla means all at the same time song of love, hymn to joy, time, movement, rhythm, life and death”.

The work was premiered in 1949 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein.