Olivier Messiaen - L'Ascension, orchestra (1933)

Composer: Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (December 10, 1908 - April 27, 1992)
Orchestra: Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit
00:00 I - Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père
05:39 II - Alleluias sereins d’une âme qui désire le ciel
11:48 III - Alleluia sur la trompette, alleluia sur la cymbale
17:36 IV - Prière du Christ montant vers son Père
Score available from Alphonse-Leduc
Program I develop for this channel: github.com/edwardx999/ScorePr...

[@Cmaj7]

00:01 I - Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père 05:39 II - Alleluias sereins d’une âme qui désire le ciel 11:48 III - Alleluia sur la trompette, alleluia sur la cymbale 17:36 IV - Prière du Christ montant vers son Père

[@stephenhill2404]

I had the honour to shake Messaien's hand after a concert in London back in the 1980's. He was so nice and humble but I didn't know what to say to him and my French was a bit rusty. He also signed a CD for me which I still have. Great moment in my life.

[@LaurentPingaultLyon]

Vous avez la chance d'être compris dans votre langue maternelle à travers le monde entier. Mais il y a ce revers de la médaille.

Lucky!! My father had a similar encounter that Im really jealous of, he met and shook hands with Igor Stravinsky back in the 60s

[@user-rx8xf5pw7l]

WOW!

[@PhucNguyen-yn7ng]

You're so lucky! Happy for you!

[@pierreminvielle]

The hand which wrote that masterpiece

[@thekathal]

Attention everyone, there is an absolutely amazing organ version of this that messiaen wrote afterwards.

[@ghmus7]

I think he wrote the organ first?

[@ghmus7]

Yes I recall you are right.

[@enriquesanchez2001]

@@ghmus7 NO. L'Ascension ("The Ascension") is a piece for orchestra, composed by Olivier Messiaen in 1932-33. In 1933-34, Messiaen made a version for solo organ.

[@dr.brianjudedelimaphd743]

The organ version is out of this world...

[@conw_y]

@@dr.brianjudedelimaphd743 It's incredible, I find it in some ways more powerful than the orchestra version!

[@andycarter9845]

Gateway Messaien, wonderfully accessible. But can lead you down the rabbit hole... Still love to come back to this piece.

[@ghmus7]

The orchestration is a revelation.

[@looney1023]

6:37 The dovetailing from English Horn to Clarinet is so seamless it's incredible.

[@MegaCirse]

En dépit de sa diversité stylistique, Messiaen était avant tout un compositeur d'esthétique expressionniste, toujours proche du drame, de la profondeur, de l'angoisse et la vision profonde et tourmentée de la vie qui semble émaner de la métaphysique de l'homme comme de sa même nature profonde

[@brynbstn]

In his titles only. If he truly did what you say he would be as popular as Beethoven

[@yagiz885]

First movement reminds me the last section before the coda of Turangalila. Messiaen was a genius!

[@chronochromie772]

10:26 is one of the most beautiful moments in all of music.

[@hector_mattenheimer]

It is indeed! It sounds like the skies are clearing, and light emerges, opening the doors of heaven to humanity.

[@steveegallo3384]

@chronochromie772 -- Yes.....the moment (10:26) IS sensational.....BRAVO from Acapulco!

[@oscargill423]

This may be the most beautiful dissonant music I've ever heard.

[@gregorypatriciaandjiyajais8819]

one of my fav messiaen s pieces the quartet and twenty regards i could not live with out

[@KrystofDreamJourney]

Awesome piece ! Early work of this French Music Master, that incorporates lots of his theoretical works on the subject of symmetrical scales of limited transposition. For us-jazz musicians Messiaen is a composer and theoretician of a very high importance.

[@alejandrom.4680]

Krystof Srebrakowski Messiaen, Rautavaara, Ravel, Ornstein, Debussy, Xenakis, very influential composers on the rest of us, the next generation of composers.

[@KrystofDreamJourney]

Alejandro M. Yes ! I love all of them. We even played Rautavaara’s “Cantus Arcticus” with our local Breward Symphony Orchestra few years ago (I did celesta part, but also thoroughly analyzed the score). I would include Penderecki and Lutoslawski to your list :-) - yes, I’m Polish myself...

[@alejandrom.4680]

Krystof Srebrakowski Yeah, totally agreed. Holy, hearing in live Canctus Articus and even perform it is probably one of the best things that I could do in my life. Btw, Lutoslawski and Penderecki are revolutionary composers, I love their individual characteristic things. Randomness and powerful complexity in the other hand, such a damn good composers they were. I would like to add Vivier, Poulenc and Emilio d’Cavalieri. The last one is a Renaissance composer which used microtonality, thing that I love. Also, Vivier used it, and I believe a lot of composers of the 1960+. Plus, Stockhausen, the first electronic music ever made.

[@KrystofDreamJourney]

Alejandro M. Yes, playing Cantus Arcticus was an awesome experience. When Our conductor Chris Confessore got the score from the publisher, it came along with the CD of pre-recorded birds performance ! He conducted the piece to the CD being played on stage through the set of stereo speakers. So the speakers became an orchestra “members” playing the birds sounds. The mating, the pure love, nature and innocence brought the tears to all of us - musicians. It was so moving... Especially nowadays, knowing that we - humans are doing absolutely everything to destroy our planet and the delicate balance of Nature...

[@KrystofDreamJourney]

Alejandro M. BTW : I absolutely love Poulenc. I performed with the choir (as a baritone, and the rehearsal pianist) Poulenc’s Stabat Mater. Absolutely amazing work ! That was back in the late 1980s, when I was at music Conservatory in Poland.

[@cazazzadan]

I prefer the "Transports de joie" of the organ version, but this recording was my first contact with the piece, almost ten years ago. In either version, the sound can be so powerful as to be overwhelming. Messiaen's sense of dynamic scale is very keen, even in an early work like this.

[@harmonicparadox2055]

Such great orchestration! Reminds me of Ravel.

[@leopoldcat5548]

Thank you so much for posting this lovely piece with the score. A real treat!

[@husastra]

Wow, that's a great piece! Thank you very much for the video!

[@ikurasake]

Enchanting.

[@GerSHAK]

Thank you for the upload.

[@Kobzar3374]

Wow. Thank you for sharing this impressive beauty.

[@hagerup64]

Great music,favourite !👍👍💙💙

[@juliadrake8878]

This is like listening to the book of revelation 💀 absolutely incredible

[@chronochromie772]

The Ascension of Jesus is chronicled by Luke in his book of the Acts of the Apostles…

[@stefanobertuol8660]

Non conoscevo la versione orchestrale. È meravigliosa!

[@kernelstudios8996]

very good piece. thank you

[@routeman680]

Lord, this is beautiful. I had never heard the orchestral version. Theology in musical form. Hearing this, I believe.

[@jochanaan58]

Even in this early work, Messiaen's genius shines in power.

[@henrygingercat]

Fascinating. The seeds of Turangalila have been sewn.

[@erikfreitas7093]

*sown

[@henrygingercat]

@@erikfreitas7093 Thanks.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

Absolutely correct 👏👏

[@pudelkern8835]

Much more better than the organ version!!!

[@rosiefay7283]

The orchestral tone-colours are better than the organ's imitations, I grant you. But the organ version's third movement, Transports de joie, is better than the orchestral version's third movement. The orchestral version shows too much influence of Dukas. In many places the music is loud, exciting and fairly fast but doesn't succeed in going anywhere, so it ultimately disappoints. By contrast, Transports de joie shows a maturer style, in which Messiaen succeeds in conveying a sense of ecstasy.

[@mathiassehn9788]

Ein wunderbares Werk in einer technisch einwandfreien Aufnahme. Die Orchestermusiker sicherlich brilliant. Mit der Interpretation bekunde ich hingegen Mühe. Die Modernität der Komposition, seinem aufwärtsstrebenden Duktus hin zum Göttlichen, wird meiner Empfindung und Beobachtung der Partitur nach durch den Dirigenten zuwenig Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet. Sie wendet eine klassische Aufführungspraxis an für gewohnte Ohren und verpasst damit die Chance, Spannungsbögen bis zum Ende durchzuführen. Das Werk zersplittert und wird langweiliger, üblicher. Dies fällt insbesondere da auf, wo Atemzeichen in den Noten stehen. Häufig wird eine Pause eingeführt, der nächste Takt erfolgt zu spät oder Achtel und nachfolgende fallen in der Spannungslinie ab. Die Dynamik entspricht oft nicht der Schreibung. Ritardandi und Accelerandi werden ohne Bedarf eingeführt. Die Streicher könnten weniger Vibrato aufweisen und dafür Zäsuren klarer darstellen. Vielen Dank für den Upload. Meine Kritik versteht sich ohne Kenntnis des Autographen oder Variationen.

[@iangaredunord6199]

Interesting use of 'Flutes of Limited Audition' in the scoring at the end of the 1st movement

[@conw_y]

4:40 onward ... I love how this coda perfectly resolves the whole movement!

[@jimenezp4491]

incredible sound.

[@WEEBLLOM]

Jimenez P

[@davidrehak3539]

Olivier Messiaen:L'Ascencion (A felemelkedés) 1.Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père (Krisztus méltósága az Atya dicsőségét követelve, Molto lento e maestoso) 00:00 2.Alleluias sereins d'une âme qui désire le ciel (Derűs alleluja egy lélek, amely vágyik az égre, Non troppo moderato e chiaro - Un poco 'più lento e teneramente - Lieve e graduale aumento del movimento - Primo movimento - Un poco più vivace di un inizio) 05:39 3.Alleluia sur la trompette, alleluia sur la cymbale (Alleluja a trombitán, alleluja a cintányéron, Presto - rallentando - Presto - rallentando molto - Presto - Piú vivo - ancora piú vivace - rallentando molto) 11:48 4.Prière du Christ montant vers son Père (Krisztus imádsága az Atyja felé emelkedik,Estremamente lento, con sentimento e solenne) 17:36 Lengyel Nemzeti Rádió Szimfonikus Zenekara Vezényel:Antoni Wit

[@hagerup64]

A mennybemenetel !

[@Tizohip]

Me inspirei muito nestas harmônias para criar minhas músicas orquestrais.

[@Cunhacomposer]

Com certeza! Eu diria que Olivier Messiaen é um dos grandes orquestradores do mundo, junto com R.Strauss, Mahler, Schönberg e se você for vê até mesmo P.Boulez. Grandes inspirações para as novas mentes musicais!

[@PaulSmith-qs1es]

well, i like it from the first chord.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

This orchestral version works as well orchestrated as it does when played on the organ. Well it would, musical genius, like J S Bach, can be transposed into many idioms.

[@jessturner6886]

The brass is so great.

[@cordeiropascoal]

Please upload Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum pretty please

[@Sujkhgfrwqqnvf]

15:19 From that fff section and onwards, the Ebs of timpani are a 1/2 tone down

[@paulybarr]

Yes, they do sound flat.

[@user-vf5jy6bp6x]

11:48 トランペットのアレルヤだけが私のお気に入り 25歳の作品 メシアンは若い頃が才能があった

[@MagoLerio]

Edition Durand? :-)))

[@user-vf5jy6bp6x]

後年のメシアンは理屈っぽくなり過ぎた 若い頃のメシアンは素直に作曲した

[@arthur_g8393]

15:59 Cello/Bass excerpt here

[@gdeleonmusic]

Thanks for the upload! Is there anywhere I could find a pdf?

[@chronochromie772]

Send me your email please.

[@handledav]

ascend

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Wait! Is that a major chord at 2:50?

[@Cmaj7]

There's a major chord at 0:12 and a lot more...

[@gon9684]

Breathtaking piece awesome musicians, a pity they apparently don't know how to play pianissimo...

[@yrockerboy]

05:39 when you enter an alien world

[@CrankyRayy]

Any film whenever there’s some desert wasteland trading post scene

[@brharley0546]

Can someone suggest beautiful pieces by messiaen like this one? I find most of them too dissonant

[@Cmaj7]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmHCkKedp8-HocU

[@Wildbillhitchcock]

BrHarley054 Fête des belles eaux, le banquet celeste, la nativité movs. 5 and 9...

[@kenbusch2139]

This piece ends on a dissonance.

[@jamesmaclean3222]

Try angel of light by Rautavarra

[@renep9968]

You can look at the date. This is an older work. The later messiaen is more dissonant. Try his Poems pour Mi (1937), Trois Mélodies (1930) , Vocalise-Étude (1935), La Nativite du Seigneur (1935), O Sacrum Convivium! (1937) . Good luck.

[@enriquesanchez2001]

Feels like DEBUSSY or perhaps RAVEL in many places... may be a characteristic of the modes he uses or something else?

[@FleuveAlphee]

The Debussy influence is even more patent in the (wonderful) Preludes (starting with the title).

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

It might just have something to do with the fact that both composers you mention happen to be French.

[@Z7y631]

to me some parts of the 2nd movement almost sounds like Spanish music.

[@BenEmberley]

No Transport de Joie?

[@chronochromie772]

That's for organ.

[@nestorhernandez2150]

¿Por qué perras ponen un comercial a media obra? 😡

[@davealbrecht12]

Messiaen and Bach...probably the only composers who's ORGANworks get transcribed for orchestra instead of the other way around.

[@the_number_e]

Except that this was originally an orchestral work that Messiaen later transcribed for organ.

[@neo-eclesiastul9386]

pianoboy You need to be pretty fucked up to compare 2 composers who lived in 2 different eras, in 2 different countries, and most of all, they had 2 different aesthetic principles.

[@roadsofjoy43]

@@neo-eclesiastul9386 salut moldovene :)

[@scriabinismydog2439]

@@neo-eclesiastul9386 ironically I find Messiaen's music to be similar to Bach's to some degree

[@tailleferrestan]

@@scriabinismydog2439, in what way? That's an interesting comparison :)))

[@conw_y]

Anyone who thinks Messiaen is atonal, I challenge you: listen to the last movement!

[@ThatOneGuyRAR]

Messiaen writes in varying degrees of tonality. Some of his stuff is truly atonal, especially with modes of limited transposition, some of it is not at all. To anyone who thinks Messiaen is entirely atonal, I challenge you: listen to the last movement!

[@Tizohip]

omg today

[@zewensenpai]

Olivier Messiaen - L'Ascension, orchestra (1933)

[@fabriziocaragiulo4812]

Orchestra: Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit

[@stacia6678]

00:00 I - Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père 05:39 II - Alleluias sereins d’une âme qui désire le ciel 11:48 III - Alleluia sur la trompette, alleluia sur la cymbale 17:36 IV - Prière du Christ montant vers son Père

[@larsjohansson7954]

Very strange way of writing ties, not from the first note, but backwards from the second note! That makes it harder for the musician to quickly recognise when a note is tied over. I guess he has some good reason. Or he just wanted to be original...

[@FreakieFan]

Might just be a way of printing chosen by the publisher. I don't know.

[@chronochromie772]

That is actually a practice committed to by the composer himself as seen in his manuscript.

[@thegulibert]

Gosh, that two first chords are really French

[@FleuveAlphee]

?

[@leonardoiglesias2394]

Pretentious rubish.

[@Iumine]

as if theres no chance it could be more than that