Olivier Messiaen, Thème et variations.

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One of the rare pieces from Messiaen that doesn't refers to God, Christ, the Bible, and/or Birds songs... and also to colors... a characteristic of him when he was talking about his music having being to speak about the colors of the chords he employed... for example a red-violet chord, or blue-orange, or gold and green... even if that could seem a bit dotty, it could be well founded as chords and colors are both speeds of vibration, and one can perceive parallels...
One can (and one does some time) joke about that, but all the same, he was one of the uncircumventable composer of the French 20th century.
Those thème & variations are very traditional in their form, but very typical of Messiaen's style and harmony... the last variation, far the longest, is not without connexion with two movements of the « Quartet for the end of Time », namely, number 5 (cello & piano) : « Praise to the eternity of Jesus » and number 8 (violin & piano): «  Praise to the immortality of Jesus »...
I mean a very slow and beautiful singing melody, most of time forte or fortissimmo, going on and on and on...
From the violin side, quite honnestly all that beauty is mainly perceptible in listening the recording, since the main feeling in playing it is very similar I think to the one of the pearls deep diver having to keep his breath for 10 mn... it seems that messiaen thought he was writing that violin part for an organ with electric air pump and not a single bow of 64 cm... all the same, and joke appart, a little gem...
For more music and discoveries :
www.jeanclaudeferet.net
But, unfortunately for the moment, the texts are still only in French (but music goes over that border isn't it !).

Production

Artist: Piano, Marie-Madeleine Petit. Violin, Jean-Claude Féret

Producer: J-C F

Writer: Olivier Messiaen.

Categories

Categories: Classical (Instrumental)

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