メシアン: 峡谷から星たちへ...

2011年から2019年までシアトル交響楽団の音楽監督を務め、退任後にも良好な関係を築いているルドヴィク・モルローが指揮したメシアンの大作「峡谷から星たちへ…」のライヴ録音。
在職中には「稀少なレパートリーを積極的に紹介すること」を心がけ、現代作品から知られざる作品まで幅広いプログラムを演奏していたというモルローならではの選曲で、この演奏ではメシアン弾きとして名高いピアニスト、スティーヴン・オズボーンをソリストに迎え、作曲家特有のカラフルなオーケストラの響きと"鳥の声"を再現することに成功しています。ベナロヤ・ホールの素晴らしい音響も見事に捉えられた録音も聴きどころ。

※CD-Rメディアでの発売です。
ナクソス・ジャパン

The 50th anniversary of Olivier Messiaens Des canyons aux etoiles... brought forth several performances of the hefty 90-minute work, otherwise not terribly often heard. The Utah Symphony went out to the canyonlands, from which Messiaen took his inspiration, visiting Utah in response to a commission for a work to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial. Not to be outdone, the Seattle Symphony performed the work with images of Bryce Canyon projected on big screens; it is from those live performances that this recording is taken. It is a strong performance across the board, with sterling engineering work in the complex score, keeping the textures clear. The pianist is important to a successful performance of the work; originally, the part was played by Messiaens wife, Yvonne Loriod, and here, Steven Osborne, always confident in French music, delivers the right edge. Seattle Symphony conductor Ludovic Morlot is also at home in this repertory, and he gets some superb playing from the orchestra. The complex percussion parts are clear, there are lively treatments of Messiaens trademark bird calls, and check out, especially the difficult solo in the "Appel interstellaire" solo movement from hornist Jeffery Fair (who doesnt even get a credit in the minimalist "booklet"). This is a performance that could inspire other orchestras to add this epic work to their repertories. ~ James Manheim