I nearly missed this one. Messiaen's incredible Turangalîla-Symphonie is on at the NCH tonight. This can't get many outings in Ireland, so should be something special. On the piano is Steven Osborne who played this in the Proms a few years ago. (It looks like the hall is less than half-full - what a scandal - better go back to an endless repetition of Beethoven symphonies.....)
And for those that can't get enough Messiaen, there is a free organ recital beforehand. Brave man Fergal Caulfield: fiendish stuff.
Turangalîla tonight in NCH
Re: Turangalîla tonight in NCH
I spotted that this was on, mainly because I saw Fergal was on duty beforehand, but sadly I have a prior gig engagement elsewhere. It's, eh, at the opposite end of the musical spectrum:
http://www.dme-promotions.com/events/ma ... -sathanas/
Actually, maybe I should go see Fergal first, and go quite literally from the sublime to the ridiculous. Hmmm...
http://www.dme-promotions.com/events/ma ... -sathanas/
Actually, maybe I should go see Fergal first, and go quite literally from the sublime to the ridiculous. Hmmm...
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Sitting Room: Wadia 581SE - Rega Planar 3/AT VM95ML & SH - Bluesound Node II - Copland CSA 100 - Audioplan Kontrast 3
Kitchen: WiiM Pro - Wadia 151 - B&W 685s2
Re: Turangalîla tonight in NCH
Well that was pretty amazing! I'd never heard it live before, though I have a few recordings. Sometimes live performances disappoint compared to what one has become used to on record, but this was definitely not one of those occasions. Maybe due to the enormous orchestral forces, being there allows you to pick out what you want to listen to, rather than what the recording engineer decided you should hear.
I was wondering how the orchestra would negotiate this masterpiece because it must be technically one of the most difficult in the repertoire, but the rhythmic complexities were wonderfully communicated with some rock solid conducting. There was a phalanx of percussionists on celeste, vibraphone, glockenspiel, bass drum, cymbals, wooden blocks, gong, side drum, tambourine and two! on maracas.
The pianist was magnificent and I got to see the ethereal ondes martinot for the first time. I couldn't quite figure out how it works: it looked like a combination of piano keys for the right hand, and a potentiometer for the left to vary the frequency. I was amused that the soloist was the only one to play the whole work without music. I guess when you play the ondes martinot you know this one pretty well! Possibly your whole career is based on playing this one piece - and the survival of this instrumental curiosity must be strongly linked to this contender for the greatest work of the 20th century.
I was wondering how the orchestra would negotiate this masterpiece because it must be technically one of the most difficult in the repertoire, but the rhythmic complexities were wonderfully communicated with some rock solid conducting. There was a phalanx of percussionists on celeste, vibraphone, glockenspiel, bass drum, cymbals, wooden blocks, gong, side drum, tambourine and two! on maracas.
The pianist was magnificent and I got to see the ethereal ondes martinot for the first time. I couldn't quite figure out how it works: it looked like a combination of piano keys for the right hand, and a potentiometer for the left to vary the frequency. I was amused that the soloist was the only one to play the whole work without music. I guess when you play the ondes martinot you know this one pretty well! Possibly your whole career is based on playing this one piece - and the survival of this instrumental curiosity must be strongly linked to this contender for the greatest work of the 20th century.