Messiaen: Vingt Regards....

[Bryn]

The Messiaen Edition Box Set has Vingt Regards played by Yvonne Loriod.

You refer to the Erato Messiaen set. The current version of that (I have the 1988 version) used 'cleaned up' re-masters. In carrying out that 'clean up' the engineer(s) managed to cut off the start of many of the attacks and excise many of the long decays while trying to deal with the admittedly intrusive print-through problems on the original master tapes. I prefer to put up with the print-through echoes and pre-echoes than lose so much of Loriod's playing. During the 2008 anniversary year, Universal re-issued Loriod's earlier (1956) Véga recording of Vingt Regards as part of their "Les permiers enregistrements 1956-1963" box. The master tapes for that recording appear to have been better stored than the Erato ones recorded in October 1973.

[Bryn]

Re. the Muraro DVD, note the microphone positioning. Would that more recording engineers adopted a similarly simple approach. No sign of a mic intrusively stuck inside the piano.

[Oh, and by the way, when it comes to CDs to be avoided, I would mention the 1991 recording by Mélisande Chauveau on Forlane. I guess you are unlikely to come across it (my copy was bought for £2.99 in a charity shop). I find it hard to discern anything recommendable about her performance of this work.]

[Anna]

This is interesting as I don't have Vingt Regards! <winky smiley stuff> Does it encourage me to get it? I am not sure. The only Messiaen I have is: Visions de l'Amen (Peter Hill), Les Canyons aux Etoiles, etc., Paul Crossley (London Sinfonietta, Esa Pekka Salonen) and Turangalia (Concertgebouw/Chailly.) Perhaps this thread could be opened up to Messiaen in general?

[Quarky]

A good idea Anna, to open up this thread. In preparation for which I will be playing the entire 18 CDs in my Messiaen Box Set - and who knows I may have something sensible to say some time in 2011 - but don't hold your breath.

Nobody has mentioned Catalogue d'oiseaux as yet. One of the most characteristic and easily approachable parts of his work.

[Bryn]

In my youth I saved up to be able to buy Robert Sherlaw Jonhson's recording of Catalogue d'oiseaux on release (I had read something about its impending lauch The Gramophone, if I recall correctly). Along with several other LPs, it went missing during a house move in the late '60s. A few years ago another board contributor bought a set of those LPs second-hand, and kindly made transfers to CD-R available to me, then, in 2008, Universal issued them as part of their piano and organ music box. I still have a certain affection for that recording but now find Peter Hill's my favourite, with the two available Yvonne Loriod recordings (1959 and 1971) also revealing special insight, as, in their various ways do those from Austbo, Kim and Muraro (in the 32 disc 'complete'* edition issued by Universal under their DG brand). I am currently waiting on hmv.com to fulfil my order for the new Momo Kodama SACD set. Her playing in her recording of Vingt Regards gives rise to great hopes. I note from the Presto site that its release date has ben deferred to the 31st of this month. I am hoping that hmv.com will honour the price they were quoting at the time of my order, (£12.99), but quite expect them to try and get out of it. They are now showing a thoroughly uncompetitive £53.99. Play.com are asking £47.99.

* A number of extant but unpublished works such as La dame de Shalott are not included.

[BBMmk2]

Did Peter Hill record it, for Unicorn-Kanchana and do Regis produce it?

[Bryn]

It was recorded by/for Unicorn-Kanchana and after they went under Regis licensed it. Since then Brilliant Classics has also licensed them. Regis also licensed and re-issued the Bate organ survey, but in that case they were also remastered. From the logos on the Regis re-issues it would appear that they went back to analogue versions of some of the earlier recordings which first appeared as DDD.

[amateur51]

I share your liking for the Austbo recording of Vingt Régards Bryn but I've not heard the Peter Hill or Steven Osborne or Roger Muraro sets yet. So much to hear, so little time ...

I've heard Pierre-Laurent Aimard perform the piece twice in concert, at the Barbican and QEH and enjoyed them enormously. Has anyone heard his recording?

[Bryn]

I have the DVD Audio of Aimard, but I prefer the performance he gave at the Barbican as part of the Messiaen Weekend. That has been broadcast on Radio 3 at least twice.

[Keybawd]

Returning to some observations at the start of the thread: I first heard 20 Regards at about 16 yrs old. It was a live performance broadcast and John Ogdon was the pianist. The work completely bowled me over. It was a kind of epiphany. Thereafter, I bought recordings of his works whenever I could afford them (All the Messiaen LPs were French imports back then). I attended all the important Messiaen premiers, heard him and Yvonne playing the two pianos of the "Visions/Amen". Bought the scores. Studied his treatise "The technique of my musical language".

I don't listen to Messiaen as much as I used to. Perhaps it has no more surprises for me. But Vingt Regards is a monumental work and if heard as a whole, it's an ecstatic experience.

[Mandryka]

A good idea Anna, to open up this thread. In preparation for which I will be playing the entire 18 CDs in my Messiaen Box Set - and who knows I may have something sensible to say some time in 2011 - but don't hold your breath.

Nobody has mentioned Catalogue d'oiseaux as yet. One of the most characteristic and easily approachable parts of his work.

I don't know which Messiaen box you're referring to there, but mine has only 14CDs.

Finished listening to it over the weekend and, on the whole, am impressed - more so than I expected to me for a composer whose work I wasn't familiar with at all until now.

Have programmed another date with Vingt Regards.... for next month.

[Bryn]

The 18 CD set would be the Erato which includes many recordings with contributions from Yvonne Loriod. There is also a couple of multi-disc boxes on the Decca label, and the 'complete' edition of 32 CDs on the DG label. Then there is a number of other boxes devoted to historical recordings, the organ music, the piano music, etc. The record companies did fairly well by Messiaen in 2008.

[Quarky]

Having spent some time playing my 18 CD box set, Erato/ Warner Classics, as Bryn says, I was totally impressed by Messiaen's music. Much more accessible than many other 20th century composers, with something "new" to say.

In terms of most enjoyable pieces, my hit list is as follows:
1.

[Quarky]

Sorry, pressed the wrong key combination.

Hit list:
1. Des Canyons aux etoiles - terrifically colourful music
2. Couleurs de la cite celeste - please excuse lack of accents
3. Harawi - a new and intriguing song cycle.

17. Vingt Regards - I don't think my mood was sufficently sombre for this work
18. Recorded interview with Messiaen - trying to improve my French, but this was too much form my puny understanding.

[Bryn]

Sorry, pressed the wrong key combination.

18. Recorded interview with Messiaen - trying to improve my French, but this was too much form my puny understanding.

The original issue of that set (some years before the Nagano Turangalîla was recorded) was replete with booklets of programme notes. That for the interview comprised an English translation (by Stuart Walters) of a transcript running to 33 pages. There again, the first release did cost between 2 and 3 times as much as the later edition.