Messiaen: La transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Messiaen's monumental Transfiguration is a massive, hugely compelling 100-minute work for chorus, orchestra, and seven featured instruments. Its structure mirrors the mystical composer's interest in number symbolism. Transfiguration is in two main parts, each made up of seven sections: two quotations from St. Matthew relating the story of Jesus and his followers at the mountaintop, each followed by two meditations and a closing chorale. The choral texts are lavishly accompanied with brilliant orchestral elaborations, shot through with colors of light through a percussion array featuring marimba and vibraphone, with extensive roles for solo winds, piano, and cello.

The gripping opening, with its gongs and bells, introduces an oriental flavor that speaks of great mysteries to come. The rest of the score is as exotically inventive, with long, slow melodies; Messiaen's trademark birdsong; Tibetan chant; and orchestral passages of quiet, delicate beauty as well as violent brass and percussion-led eruptions. It's a masterpiece, and it gets a first-rate performance from Myung-Whun Chung and his forces. Chung has made several acclaimed recordings of Messiaen's music, and this may be the best of all, with terrific choral and orchestral work that draws you into the composer's unique sound world. --Dan Davis

Messiaen: La transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ, Music, Robert Fontaine, Olivier Messiaen, Myung-Whun Chung, Thomas Prevost, Choral, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic, Sacred Choral Music with orchestra

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...based on the original Decca recording under Dorati...

RARE WORK - LESS THAN IDEAL PERFORMANCE

Transfigured? Not!

A Magnificent Piece Of Music

Messiaen: La transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Des Canyons Aux Etoiles

Olivier Messiaen: Éclairs sur l'au-delà (Illuminations of the Beyond)

Olivier Messiaen: Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum; Chronochromie; La Ville d'en haut

Olivier Messiaen: Complete Organ Works

Messiaen: Saint François d'Assise / van Dam, Upshaw, Nagano

ASIN: B0000630QC
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Tracks:

I. Recit Evangelique
II. Configuratum Corpori Claritatis Suae
III. Christus Jesus, Splendor Patris
IV. Recit Evangelique
V. Quam Dilecta Tabernacula Tua
VI. Candor Est Lucis Aeternae
VII. Choral De La Sainte Montagne

Tracks:

VII. Recit Evangelique
IX. Perfecte Conscius Illius Perfactae Generationis
X. Adoptionem Filiorum Perfectam
XI. Recit Evangelique
XII. Terribilis Est Locus Iste
XII. Tota Trinitas Apparuit
XIV. Choral De La Lumiere De Gloire

Amazon.com

Messiaen's monumental Transfiguration is a massive, hugely compelling 100-minute work for chorus, orchestra, and seven featured instruments. Its structure mirrors the mystical composer's interest in number symbolism. Transfiguration is in two main parts, each made up of seven sections: two quotations from St. Matthew relating the story of Jesus and his followers at the mountaintop, each followed by two meditations and a closing chorale. The choral texts are lavishly accompanied with brilliant orchestral elaborations, shot through with colors of light through a percussion array featuring marimba and vibraphone, with extensive roles for solo winds, piano, and cello.

Customer Reviews:

...based on the original Decca recording under Dorati..........2006-04-11

I haven't heard this performance, but the original 1972 Decca recording with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Westminster Symphonic Choir under Antal Dorati is one of my prized possessions. Talk of this performance being less than representative is silly, since the U.S. premiere under Dorati was (I believe) the 14th presentation of this work, and was done under the close supervision of Messiaen himself (as were they all then). I don't believe he would have stood for a less-than-representative performance of his work, particularly one recorded for posterity.
This work was received with wild enthusiasm at its first performance, and, I believe, at most of its subsequent performances. The first was at the Coliseu in Lisbon as part of the 1969 Gulbenkian Festival. According to Messiaen's diary (as reported by Peter Hill in his wonderful new book) the audience of 9000 (!) applauded for a solid half-hour at the end, and Messiaen was completely overwhelmed.
Anyway, I haven't heard the Chung performance, and I must say that I'm somewhat hesitant to buy it, for the following reasons. First, just based on the Music Sampler snatches here, I don't agree with many of his tempi. They seem to drag a fair bit, and Dorati's reading definitely has more gusto. Secondly (and please bear with me), if you listen specifically to the beginning of the 9th movement (Perfecte conscius illius perfectae generationis), you'll hear a big fat chord of resonance repeated several times followed by a very low note on the trombone (I think, I don't have the score), then that note is repeated with much more force by all the lowest instruments (I'm assuming double bases, saxhorn, contrabass tuba, and some low tam-tams), and this is followed by the baritone male voices one whole note higher. In the Chung version, these low notes are somewhat tame, and each is distinct to the extent that they sound like completely separate occurrences in sequence. In the Dorati version, the low trombone is followed by a shattering, rolling, rumbling paroxysm, and the male voices ride the gradual decay of this enormous sound. This part sounds for all the world like the creation of the universe. With sounds like this, you really start to understand what Messiaen meant by "explosions of blue-orange lava" and all the rest of it. By comparison, I think that the Chung version is much too civilized. Finally, concerning the criticism of this work's apparent lack of form or structure other than "blocks", all I can say is that repeated listening, particularly of the second "septenaire", reveals a definite sense of structure, sort of a gradual rise toward the shattering climax of the 13th movement, when the complete trinity appears on the mountaintop (Tota trinitas apparuit). The final chorale of movement 14 (Choral de la lumiere de gloire) is a completely fitting coda to the whole affair. Again, careful, concentrated listening to this part of the work will reveal amazing shades of harmonic complexity that are completely mindblowing. In most (if not all) of these chords, all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are sounding simultaneously, and it is only their judicious distribution across the various levels of pitch and timbre within the orchestra and choir which gives the impression of a tonic progression. However, if you try to hone in on a any specific group of notes to understand "intellectually" what the progression actually is, you lose it. It's a bit like what Aristotle said about time, that everyone knows what it is but nobody can say what it is. This piece, and by extension many of Messiaen's later pieces (from the late fifties onwards) represent (in my humble opinion) the absolute pinnacle of harmonic development in all of Western music.
In any case, one can't expect everyone to like it. As Messiaen himself said (again, quoted from Hill's book), his music is targeted to an initiated elite.

RARE WORK - LESS THAN IDEAL PERFORMANCE.......2005-10-05

In retrospect this huge choral piece seems much more typical of the music Messiaen was writing in the mid-60s than it did at the time of its premiere. The sound world it conjures up is very like that of, say, Et Expecto, Couleurs de la Cite Celeste or Des Cantons aux Etoiles. The major difference is the use of voices. This was Messiaen's first choral piece since the 5 Rechants and the choral style is very different from either that challengingly experimental piece or from the earlier 3 Petites Liturgies - more of a forerunner to St. Francois, in fact. In La Transfiguration the choral writing is largely written in unison for the narrative plainchant-derived sections or in chordal blocks for the many chorale-like passages.

If that sounds monotonous, it is more than made up for in the brilliance of the orchestral writing. Here is a profusion of the composer's beloved birds, taken from all over the world. Here is the glitter of a large batterie of tuned percussion. Here is the special sound only Messiaen had the key to in his brass and woodwind writing. And here is all Messiaen's unique synesthetic (seeing harmonies as colours) approach to slowly shifting chords and keys. Here, too, are love-songs to match the central movement of Turangalila, landscapes to match the vivid pictures in Des Canyons or the Catalogue d'Oiseaux and huge marmoreal chorales to match the equivalent movements in Et Expecto or even Messiaen's last orchestral work, Eclairs sur l'au dela.

What is distinctive about La Transfiguration, as befits its subject, is the way in which Messiaen seems to be exploring ways of writing music as an objective correlative for light. The nearest comparison I can think of is the late paintings of Monet where he attempted to capture the very nature of light itself in his paint. Whether it's the iridescent shimmer of light on the wings of an exotic bird, the sudden stark flash of lightning on a dark landscape or the blinding brilliance of the light of the Transfiguration itself, Messiaen unerringly finds the appropriate musical metaphor.

This is an important recording because the work's sheer size precludes too many performances. Certainly the modern sound is a huge asset, allowing all that colourful orchestral palette to shine at its brightest. But there is something of the Messiaenic ecstasy and abandon missing from this performance. It is all a bit too careful. For example, the piece was partly a response to Rostropovich's repeated requests for a Cello Concerto from the composer and there is a crucial part for solo cello. The cellist on this French performance simply lacks Slava's richness, depth of tone and passion - he's too monochrome. So, too, the singing of the choir, which is musically precise but lacks the variety and colour that show a real response to the text however static the musical line seems to be. The currently unavailable Dorati performance from Washington on Decca, made soon after the work's premiere, comes much closer to an ideal performance. Seek that out if you can. If not, this disc will serve as a more than adequate introduction to a major and little known Messiaen work.

Transfigured? Not!.......2005-03-04

I adore Messiaen's music but somehow this work doesn't hit the mark with me. It seems too episodic... Yes I know that Messiaen's music is built from juxtaposing blocks (say, birdsong solo on piano, stately gorgeous chords from the orchestra, etc) and this works well with the ensemble & orchestral pieces. So perhaps it's something to do with this being the first choral piece written since the Cinq Rechants. I can't put my finger on it (perhaps I am looking for a narrative flow) but the cumulative effect just doesn't happen here for me despite all the symmetry and symbolism of 7.

However I cannot fault the gorgeous sound or the committed performance here, but I think I prefer to turn to his massive opera St Francis of Assisi for spiritual nourishment, and for a better example of Messiaen's vocal and choral writing.

A Magnificent Piece Of Music.......2002-12-20

This is a challenging piece of music however it is well worth approaching with patience and an open mind. The listener will be rewarded with a truly mind expanding experience. The sense of grace,spirituality and infiniteness that is present in all of Messiaen's work is performed by Myung-Whun Chung & Co. to awe inspiring effect. The choral performances are first rate as are the orchestral passages. This is truly music that transcends itself and I recommend it to anyone who wishes to take a leap and increase their understanding of what music can be.

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Orchestral Music
Messiaen , Cambreling , and Swr So Baden-Baden
Manufacturer: Hanssler Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000083END
Release Date: 2003-01-28

Tracks:

First Septenary: I Gospel Narrative
First Septenary: II His Glorious Body
First Septenary: III Christ Jesus, The Resplendence Of The Father
First Septenary: IV Gospel Narrative
First Septenary: V How Amiable Are Thy Tabernacles
First Septenary: VI He Is The Radiance
First Septenary: VII Chorale Of The Holy Mountain
Second Septenary: VIII Gospel Narrative
Second Septenary: IX He Is Perfectly Conscious Of That Perfect Generation
Second Septenary: X Adoptionem filiorum perfectam

Tracks:

Second Septenary: XI Gospel Narrative
Second Septenary: XII How Terrible Is This Place
Second Septenary: XIII The Entire Trinity Is Manifest
Second Septenary: XIV Chorale Of The Glorious Light
And I Await The Resurrection Of The Dead - For Orchestra
Ril des Oiseaux

Album Description

La Transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur, Jésus-Christ is a profoundly religious work even for the perennially mystical Olivier Messiaen. "Various aspects of the Mystery of the Transfiguration of Christ are presented One after the other by a mosaic made up of Latin texts intentionally selected by the musician to serve as a basis for his meditations" wrote Messiaen. The work is divided into two septenaria, that is to say, two groups of seven pieces. Each reading of fragments from the Gospel on the subject of transfiguration is followed by two pieces which go into the main ideas in more detail. Each septenarium ends with a chorale."

The program is rounded out with Messiaen's demanding bird-song fantasia Réveil des Oiseaux, in a priceless performance by the work's dedicatee (and Messiaen's wife) Yvonne Loriod. According to the composer, "this score consists purely of birdsong. All were heard in the forest and are authentic. The instrumentalists should attempt to reproduce the calls and the timbre of the birds as closely as possible."

Tracks:

First Septenary: I Gospel Narrative
First Septenary: II His Glorius Body
First Septenary: III Christ Jesus, The Resplendence Of The Father
First Septenary: IV Gospel Narrative
First Septenary: V How Amiable Are Thy Tabernacles
First Septenary: VI He Is The Radiance
First Septenary: VII Chorale Of The Holy Mountain
Second Septenary: VIII Gospel Narrative
Second Septenary: IX He Is Perfectly Conscious Of That Perfect Generation
Second Septenary: X Adoptionem filiorum perfectam

Tracks:

Second Septenary: XI Gospel Narrative
Second Septenary: XII How Terrible Is This Place
Second Septenary: XIII The Entire Trinity Is Manifest
Second Septenary: XIV Chorale Of The Glorious Light
And I Await The Resurrection Of The Dead - For Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

a Dramatic Reading of 'Ex Expecto....'.......2001-11-14

Interestingly enough, it was not `....transfiguration...' that caught my ear on these discs, it was the performance of `Ex Expecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum' that was tagged on the end. It is performed with a great deal of spirit and poignant affect. I found this performance very moving. It has a profound sense of anxiety and expectation throughout. The final orchestral crescendo really holds you on the edge of your seat and makes you feel the terror of the coming judgement. Many of the unusual timbres of the orchestra are highlighted in this performance. There are some extended percussion sections that are played with a great deal of individuality and musical interest. There really is a strong contrast between this performance and (for example) the performance of the Cleveland Orchestra playing the work under Boulez. That performance is very measured, balanced, cerebral, timbral. This performance is not so measured; various players stick out at various times; but the music still works. What the Berlin Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra achieves is a gripping performance.
`Ex Expecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum' is a piece of an almost programmatic nature, on the last days spoken of by the Christian scriptures. The title means `I await the resurrection of the dead,' which is a meditation on the dead rising from their graves and the living being called to stand before God either in judgement or under the protection of the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ, escaping it. Books that record all the works in the lives of the souls will be opened, and they will be judged on that basis. Those that fail are cast into the lake of fire eternally. Hard to get more foreboding than that! Messiaen is characteristically uses the affectual palate of awe, terror, mystery, etc. Some of the percussion sounds are evocative of the dead rising (clanking bones, etc). It is rare to find a composer who really expresses awe (which is a mixture of wonder and abject terror) well; Messiaen is your composer here. You really feel the awe. This performance helps you feel it. `Ex Expecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum' is one of the great religious works and stands beside Handel's Messiah and Haydn's Creation in that respect (though very different from those two).
`La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jesus Christ' is a good work also, but perhaps more didactic and less dramatic than `Ex Expecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum.' There are lots of moments where the plainchant will cause things to drag a little. I think that the Berlin Rundfunk Symphony in places doesn't quite give the work what it needs, in order to breath and live. The recording features Yvonne Loriod, Messiaen's wife on the piano, which is always excellent.

Olivier Messiaen: La Transfiguration de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ

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Olivier Messiaen: La Transfiguration de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ

Manufacturer: Disques Montaigne
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000AKO6Q
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks: