Post Description

Deel 3. Vocal & Choral Music          CDs 14,15,26,29 van de serie.
This 32 CD set in total was issued by Deutsche Grammophon in November 2008 to commemorate the centenary of Olivier Messiaen's birth. It contains all the works which the composer considered to be worthwhile. This is not a vast output for a compositional career spanning 64 years, but at least it is practical for a listener to become familiar with the complete oeuvre. Amongst the reasons why one might do so are the consistently high levels of inspiration and originality in his music. There is also more variety than might be expected if one only knows the famous works. After composing a few pieces recalling Debussy and Fauré, Messiaen developed a highly characteristic style which blended profound spirituality with the world of nature in predominantly large canvases using imaginative instrumentation.
All the recordings are reckoned to be amongst the best versions available of the relevant pieces and many of the artists involved worked with the composer and-or his wife.