Imaginative and Profound Olivier Messiaen's 'Turangalîla-Symphonie' - heard by KEITH BRAMICH '... a vibrant, sparkling performance ...'

Olivier Messiaen was given a generously free hand for this Serge Koussevitzky commission, and his initial conception for Turangalîla was a four movement symphonic work. These four movements became the first, fourth, sixth and tenth movements of a huge ten movement love song inspired by the Tristan and Isolde legend. Along with Harawi and Cinq rechants, it forms the central part of Messiaen's trilogy of works on the theme of romantic love and death. Inclusion of the sweeping, whistling and ethereal sound of the electro-acoustic ondes Martenot, floating above the orchestra, gives the work a superhuman and otherworldly feel...

OLIVIER MESSIAEN

TURANGALILA-SYMPHONIE

FRANCE

ANGELA HEWITT

FINLAND

ONDINE

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

20TH CENTURY