Third volume of the 3D live recordings from the historic Stadthalle in Wuppertal with a completely French program: Enchanting lightness, ever-changing colourfulness, charming irony, quick-witted esprit, and magical depth – like a stroll through Paris? Henri Dutilleux aimed to steer clear of French lightness.
He was his own greatest critic, vehement in his resistance to being associated with any school, tendency or group. He was at the height of his powers when he wrote Métaboles. The piece was written to mark the 40th anniversary of the Cleveland Orchestra, who gave the first performance in January 1965 under the direction of George Szell. The five uninterrupted movements take the metamorphic principle of nature as their inspiration.
Olivier Messiaen’s art displays great power and from his person exuded a fascinating charisma. His music is as indebted to Gregorian chant as to the sound world of the Javanese gamelan orchestra; he connects the metrics of Greek verses with the scales of Indian ragas:
Les Offrandes oubliées (The Forgotten Offerings) is an impressive symphonic meditation cast in three parts lasting about 11 minutes. In 1931, it was premièred in Paris as Messiaen’s first orchestral work.
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death in 1991, Messiaen gave a personal memorial to his favourite composer in the form of Un Sourire (A Smile). It was above all the colour and lightness of his music that filled him with enthusiasm.
