Olivier Messiaen

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2008

Paris

20081202

Donald Macleod is joined by Messiaen's biographer Nigel Simeone to look at aspects of the composer's life and career in Paris, from the boy entering the Paris Conservatoire aged ten to his activities as professor of composition there, his role as godfather to the avant-garde during the 1950s and his duties as organist at the church of La Trinite over the course of more than five decades.

Chant des deportes

BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

Andrew Davis (conductor)

Jade M2-36352 - Tr 14

La mort du nombre

Herve Lamy (tenor)

Francoise Pollet (soprano)

Agnes Sulem-Bialobroda (violin)

Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen (piano)

Le merle noir

Emmanuel Pahud (flute)

Eric Le Sage (piano)

EMI 5 56488 2 - Tr 16

Canteyodjaya

Peter Hill (piano)

Unicorn-Kanchana DKP 9078 - Tr 13

Apparition de l'eglise eternelle

Olivier Messiaen (organ)

EMI CZS 7 67400 2 CD 1 - Tr 3.

Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone look at Messiaen's life and career in Paris.

2008

Birth

20081201

Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore Messiaen's life and work, focusing on the early influences on the composer, including the volume of poetry his mother wrote while she was pregnant with him and the joys of family life.

3 Melodies

Michele Command (soprano)

Marie-Madeleine Petit (piano)

EMI CMS 7 64092 2 CD1 - Trs 1-3

Les offrandes oubliees

Orchestre de l'Opera Bastille

Myung-Whun Chung (conductor)

DG 445 947-2 - Tr 5

Chants de terre et de ciel (excerpts)

Jane Manning (soprano)

David Mason (piano)

Unicorn-Kanchana UKCD2085 - Trs 10-13

Dieu parmi nous (La Nativite du Seigneur)

Naji Hakim (organ)

EMI 5 72272 2 - Tr 7.

Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore early influences on Messiaen.

2008

20081203

Donald Macleod explores the works making up Messiaen's Tristan trilogy, including his Turangalila-symphonie, and his gifted student Yvonne Loriod's increasing importance to him in the 1950s.

Bonjour toi, colombe verte (Harawi)

Lucy Shelton (soprano)

John Constable (piano)

Koch 3-7292-2 H1 - Tr 2

Jardin du sommeil d'amour (Turangalila)

Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)

Takashi Harada (ondes martenot)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Riccardo Chailly (conductor)

Decca 436 626-2 - Tr 6

Mon bouquet tout defait rayonne (Cinq Rechants)

London Sinfonietta Voices

Terry Edwards (conductor)

Virgin Classics VC 7 91472-2 - Tr 7

Le baiser de l'enfant-Jesus (Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jesus)

Yvonne Loriod (piano)

ERATO 4509-96222-2 CD 2- Tr 4

Sept Haikai

Orchestre du Domaine Musicale

Pierre Boulez (conductor)

Accord/Discovery 4801045 disc 6.

Donald Macleod explores the works making up Messiaen's Tristan trilogy.

2008

20081204

Donald Macleod and Messiaen biographer Nigel Simeone explore nature in Messiaen's music, given the significant presence in it of birdsong and the inspiration it derives from landscape.

La Colombe (8 Preludes)

Martin Zehn (piano)

Arte Nova 82876 57833 2 - Tr 1

La grive des bois (Des canyons aux etoiles)

Roger Muraro (piano)

Jean-Jacques Justafre (horn)

Francis Petit (xylorimba)

Renaud Muzzolini (glockenspiel)

Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France

Myung-Whun Chung (conductor)

DG 471 617-2 CD 2 - Tr 3

La chouette hulotte; L'alouette lulu (Catalogue d'oiseaux)

Yvonne Loriod (piano)

ERATO ECD71590 - Trs 5-6

Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum

Cleveland Orchestra

Pierre Boulez (conductor)

DG 445 827-2 - Ts 9-13.

Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore nature in Messiaen's music.

2008

05 LAST

Legacy

20081205

Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore Messiaen's final works, written after he had completed what he thought would be his final work - his huge opera based on the life of St Francis of Assisi.

La resurrection du Christ (Livre du Saint Sacrament)

Jennifer Bate (organ)

Unicorn-Kanchana DKPCD 9067-8 CD1 - Tr 10

Petites esquisses d'oiseaux

Peter Hill (piano)

Unicorn-Kanchana DKPCD 9144 - Trs 4-9

Eclairs sur l'au-dela (excerpts)

Orchestre de l'Opera Bastille

Myung-Whun Chung (conductor)

DG 439 929-2 - Trs 9-11

Un sourire

Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France

Marek Janowski (conductor)

RCA 09026615202 - Tr 1.

Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore Messiaen's final works and his legacy.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2008		Paris	20081202	Donald Macleod is joined by Messiaen's biographer Nigel Simeone to look at aspects of the composer's life and career in Paris, from the boy entering the Paris Conservatoire aged ten to his activities as professor of composition there, his role as godfather to the avant-garde during the 1950s and his duties as organist at the church of La Trinite over the course of more than five decades. Chant des deportes BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Andrew Davis (conductor) Jade M2-36352 - Tr 14 La mort du nombre Herve Lamy (tenor) Francoise Pollet (soprano) Agnes Sulem-Bialobroda (violin) Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen (piano) Le merle noir Emmanuel Pahud (flute) Eric Le Sage (piano) EMI 5 56488 2 - Tr 16 Canteyodjaya Peter Hill (piano) Unicorn-Kanchana DKP 9078 - Tr 13 Apparition de l'eglise eternelle Olivier Messiaen (organ) EMI CZS 7 67400 2 CD 1 - Tr 3. Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone look at Messiaen's life and career in Paris.
2008	01	Birth	20081201	Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore Messiaen's life and work, focusing on the early influences on the composer, including the volume of poetry his mother wrote while she was pregnant with him and the joys of family life. 3 Melodies Michele Command (soprano) Marie-Madeleine Petit (piano) EMI CMS 7 64092 2 CD1 - Trs 1-3 Les offrandes oubliees Orchestre de l'Opera Bastille Myung-Whun Chung (conductor) DG 445 947-2 - Tr 5 Chants de terre et de ciel (excerpts) Jane Manning (soprano) David Mason (piano) Unicorn-Kanchana UKCD2085 - Trs 10-13 Dieu parmi nous (La Nativite du Seigneur) Naji Hakim (organ) EMI 5 72272 2 - Tr 7. Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore early influences on Messiaen.
2008	03		20081203	Donald Macleod explores the works making up Messiaen's Tristan trilogy, including his Turangalila-symphonie, and his gifted student Yvonne Loriod's increasing importance to him in the 1950s. Bonjour toi, colombe verte (Harawi) Lucy Shelton (soprano) John Constable (piano) Koch 3-7292-2 H1 - Tr 2 Jardin du sommeil d'amour (Turangalila) Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano) Takashi Harada (ondes martenot) Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Riccardo Chailly (conductor) Decca 436 626-2 - Tr 6 Mon bouquet tout defait rayonne (Cinq Rechants) London Sinfonietta Voices Terry Edwards (conductor) Virgin Classics VC 7 91472-2 - Tr 7 Le baiser de l'enfant-Jesus (Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jesus) Yvonne Loriod (piano) ERATO 4509-96222-2 CD 2- Tr 4 Sept Haikai Orchestre du Domaine Musicale Pierre Boulez (conductor) Accord/Discovery 4801045 disc 6. Donald Macleod explores the works making up Messiaen's Tristan trilogy.
2008	04		20081204	Donald Macleod and Messiaen biographer Nigel Simeone explore nature in Messiaen's music, given the significant presence in it of birdsong and the inspiration it derives from landscape. La Colombe (8 Preludes) Martin Zehn (piano) Arte Nova 82876 57833 2 - Tr 1 La grive des bois (Des canyons aux etoiles) Roger Muraro (piano) Jean-Jacques Justafre (horn) Francis Petit (xylorimba) Renaud Muzzolini (glockenspiel) Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France Myung-Whun Chung (conductor) DG 471 617-2 CD 2 - Tr 3 La chouette hulotte; L'alouette lulu (Catalogue d'oiseaux) Yvonne Loriod (piano) ERATO ECD71590 - Trs 5-6 Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum Cleveland Orchestra Pierre Boulez (conductor) DG 445 827-2 - Ts 9-13. Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore nature in Messiaen's music.
2008	05 LAST	Legacy	20081205	Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore Messiaen's final works, written after he had completed what he thought would be his final work - his huge opera based on the life of St Francis of Assisi. La resurrection du Christ (Livre du Saint Sacrament) Jennifer Bate (organ) Unicorn-Kanchana DKPCD 9067-8 CD1 - Tr 10 Petites esquisses d'oiseaux Peter Hill (piano) Unicorn-Kanchana DKPCD 9144 - Trs 4-9 Eclairs sur l'au-dela (excerpts) Orchestre de l'Opera Bastille Myung-Whun Chung (conductor) DG 439 929-2 - Trs 9-11 Un sourire Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France Marek Janowski (conductor) RCA 09026615202 - Tr 1. Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore Messiaen's final works and his legacy.