Messiaen & Xenakis Choral works
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Olivier Messiaen, Iannis Xenakis
Label: Arion
Magazine Review Date: 10/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 39
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: ARN68084
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (5) Rechants |
Olivier Messiaen, Composer
Groupe Vocal de France Olivier Messiaen, Composer |
| O sacrum convivium! |
Olivier Messiaen, Composer
Groupe Vocal de France Olivier Messiaen, Composer |
| Nuits |
Iannis Xenakis, Composer
Groupe Vocal de France Iannis Xenakis, Composer |
Author:
Following on from the song-cycle Harawi and the Turangalila-symphonie, Messiaen's Cinq rechants of 1948 complete his so-called Tristan-trilogy. So the text is replete with love-symbols of one kind or another; unfortunately for those addicted to Messiaen's most hedonistic vein, this does not mean that the musical language is sensuously overwhelming as in Turangalila. The central movement is certainly that, but it is the exception. The rest, while picking up some melodic turns from the symphony, consists on the whole of austere, layered polyphony. The writing is dense and concentrated, and it sets out to synthesize elements of Peruvian folk-song, troubadour lyrics, Indian rhythms, and French sixteenth-century song settings (to which the rechants of the title pay homage).
Identifying the component parts doesn't necessarily take you to the heart of the matter, however. I don't mind confessing that this is one of the comparatively few Messiaen works I have yet to warm to, and if this outstanding performance doesn't do the trick, I don't know what can. No problems, of course, with the straightforwardly exaltedO sacrum convivium!, a communion motet from 1937. This is sung with true devotional fervour, at about half the speed you would hear it in the alternative soprano and organ version. Perhaps a larger choir than the 12 voices of the Groupe Vocale de France would be even better for this approach, but even so there is a radiance here which comes close to the transcendental.
Xenakis's Nuits (composed 1967–8) is a marvellous vehicle for the virtuosity of Michel Tranchant's singers. But it aspires to much more than that, being dedicated to political prisoners in Spain, Portugal and Greece. The way Xenakis throws his siren-like glissandos and phonetic texts around the choir, separating and coalescing textures behind the often frantic surface activity, is undeniably resourceful and entertaining. On the other hand, it's disturbing to consider how easily such things could be parodied. It may not be the composer's fault that some exclamations have comic overtones in different languages—''mi-mi'' and ''doing'' (as a monosyllable) for instance. But this is precisely the kind of problem which Ligeti encountered, even turned to his own advantage, and which the more single-minded Xenakis seems never to have identified. Recording quality is decent, with a little hiss and occasionally intrusive traffic noise.'
Identifying the component parts doesn't necessarily take you to the heart of the matter, however. I don't mind confessing that this is one of the comparatively few Messiaen works I have yet to warm to, and if this outstanding performance doesn't do the trick, I don't know what can. No problems, of course, with the straightforwardly exalted
Xenakis's Nuits (composed 1967–8) is a marvellous vehicle for the virtuosity of Michel Tranchant's singers. But it aspires to much more than that, being dedicated to political prisoners in Spain, Portugal and Greece. The way Xenakis throws his siren-like glissandos and phonetic texts around the choir, separating and coalescing textures behind the often frantic surface activity, is undeniably resourceful and entertaining. On the other hand, it's disturbing to consider how easily such things could be parodied. It may not be the composer's fault that some exclamations have comic overtones in different languages—''mi-mi'' and ''doing'' (as a monosyllable) for instance. But this is precisely the kind of problem which Ligeti encountered, even turned to his own advantage, and which the more single-minded Xenakis seems never to have identified. Recording quality is decent, with a little hiss and occasionally intrusive traffic noise.'
Messiaen & Xenakis Choral works
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