Messiaen – Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum & Other Works (2-CD)

UPC: 095115930120 

MPN: CHAN 9301/2 

Brand Name: Chandos Records Ltd.

Overview

This acclaimed 2-CD Chandos release presents an outstanding collection of works by Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992), one of the 20th century’s most visionary composers. Conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw and featuring pianist Peter Donohoe with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, this album offers a vivid journey through Messiaen’s spiritual and sonic landscapes—where birdsong, color, and faith intertwine.

Recorded in Amsterdam’s Paradiso and Concertgebouw, this collection includes seminal works such as Oiseaux Exotiques, Sept Haïkaï, Couleurs de la Cité Céleste, and the monumental Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum. A cornerstone of modern sacred music, this album exemplifies Chandos’s commitment to pristine digital recording and musical excellence.

Product Features

• Format: 2 × Audio CD (Double Album)
• Genre: Classical / 20th Century / Orchestral / Sacred Music
• Composer: Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)

• Performers:

  Label: Chandos Records Ltd., Colchester, Essex, England
  • Conductor: Reinbert de Leeuw
  • Piano: Peter Donohoe
  • Orchestra: Netherlands Wind Ensemble
• Country of Manufacture: Austria (CDs)
• Printed In: Germany
• Audio Format: DDD (Digital Recording)
• Release Year: 1994
• Catalog Number: CHAN 9301/2
• Barcode: 095115930120
• Total Duration: Disc 1 – 68:52 | Disc 2 – 32:51

Track Listing

Compact Disc One – Works for Wind and Piano (Recorded at the Paradiso, Amsterdam)

1. Oiseaux Exotiques – 14:27

2. Sept Haïkaï – 20:07

   Couleurs de la Cité Céleste – 16:17
   • Introduction (1:58)
   • Le parc de Nara et les lanternes de Pierre (1:38)
   • Yamanaka – Cadenza (1:32)
   • Gagaku (3:21)
   • Miyajima et le torii dans la mer (3:40)
   • Les oiseaux de Karuizawa (5:50)
   • Coda (1:57)
4. Un Vitrail et des Oiseaux – 9:15
5. La Ville d’en Haut – 8:14 Total Time: 68:52

Compact Disc Two – Recorded at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

1. Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum – 32:51 Total Time: 32:51

Interesting Facts

• A Visionary Composer: Messiaen, a devout Catholic and passionate ornithologist, merged theology, birdsong, and rhythm to create music of profound spiritual radiance.
• Spiritual Architecture in Sound: Works like Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum and Couleurs de la Cité Céleste use massive sonorities and metallic timbres to evoke transcendence and the mystery of resurrection.
• Rare Ensemble Excellence: The Netherlands Wind Ensemble, under Reinbert de Leeuw, brings extraordinary precision and clarity to Messiaen’s demanding textures.
• Critically Acclaimed Performance: Praised by international critics for its faithfulness to Messiaen’s coloristic vision, Chandos’s 1994 digital recording remains one of the reference interpretations of these works.

Publishers

© 1994 Chandos Records Ltd., Colchester, Essex, England. Made in Austria. Printed in Germany. All rights reserved. Digital recording (DDD).

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