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BIS

Liszt, Messiaen / Ullen

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Details

Composer
LISZT, FRANZ MESSIAEN, OLIVIE
Artist
Fredrik, Ullen
Format
CD
Label
BIS
Released
Jun 01, 2012
Catalog #
BIS-CD-1803
UPC
7318590018033

About

At first glance, the two composers represented on this disc may seem an unlikely couple: Franz Liszt the archetypal virtuoso-composer who crisscrossed 19th century Europe mesmerizing his audiences, and Olivier Messiaen who at the age of 22 was appointed organist at the Sainte-Trinité Church in Paris, remaining there for the rest of his life. In this imaginatively constructed programme, the Swedish pianist (and neuroscientist) Fredrik Ullén juxtaposes music by the two, showing that there are closer parallels between them than might be expected. For a start, a significant role in both composers' work was played by religious convic­tions, and three of the Liszt pieces included here are related to saints of the Catholic Church: the composer's own patron saint St Francis of Paola, St Dorothea and St Francis of Assisi, whose sermon to the birds is the subject of the first of the Two Legends. But both men also ventured into unexplored musical territory, with Messiaen exploring bird song (which he chose to regard as an expression of 'religious joy') and Hindu rhythms, for instance in Cantéyodjayâ. Meanwhile Liszt in his later years would develop an austere musical style full of dissonance, whole-tone scales, diminished and augmented chords - as striking as it is advanced, and looking ahead far into the twentieth cen­tury. One of the prime examples of this late style is Unstern! Sinistre, disastro. On several discs for BIS, Fredrik Ullén has demonstrated not only a stupendous virtuosity, but also a striking originality in his choice of repertoire, including Ligeti's Études and George Flynn's unique, almost two-hour long triptych Trinity, described as 'an utterly convincing performance of this incredible work' on the website MusicWeb International.

Tracklist 17 tracks

  1. 1 Sancta Dorothea, S187/R73 03:08
    Track
    1
    Title
    Sancta Dorothea, S187/R73
    Duration
    03:08
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  2. 2 No. 1. St. Francois d' Assise - La predication aux oiseaux 09:36
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 1. St. Francois d' Assise - La predication aux oiseaux
    Duration
    09:36
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  3. 3 No. 1. Le rouge-gorge (Robin) 02:31
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 1. Le rouge-gorge (Robin)
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    Olivier Messiaen
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  4. 4 No. 1. Andante con moto 01:21
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 1. Andante con moto
    Duration
    01:21
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  5. 5 No. 2. Le merle-noir (Blackbird) 02:34
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 2. Le merle-noir (Blackbird)
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Olivier Messiaen
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  6. 6 No. 2. Un poco più mosso 02:40
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 2. Un poco più mosso
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  7. 7 No. 3. Le rouge-gorge (Robin) 02:40
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 3. Le rouge-gorge (Robin)
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Olivier Messiaen
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  8. 8 No. 4. La grive-musicienne (Song Thrush) 01:50
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 4. La grive-musicienne (Song Thrush)
    Duration
    01:50
    Composer
    Olivier Messiaen
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  9. 9 No. 3 in D-Flat Major: Lento placido 03:57
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 3 in D-Flat Major: Lento placido
    Duration
    03:57
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  10. 10 No. 4. Quasi adagio 02:34
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 4. Quasi adagio
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  11. 11 No. 5. Le rouge-gorge (Robin) 03:03
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 5. Le rouge-gorge (Robin)
    Duration
    03:03
    Composer
    Olivier Messiaen
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  12. 12 No. 6. L'alouette des champs (Sky Lark) 02:20
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 6. L'alouette des champs (Sky Lark)
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Olivier Messiaen
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  13. 13 No. 5. Andantino 02:27
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 5. Andantino
    Duration
    02:27
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  14. 14 No. 6. Allegretto sempre cantabile 03:10
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 6. Allegretto sempre cantabile
    Duration
    03:10
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  15. 15 Unstern! Sinistre, disastro, S208/R80 05:21
    Track
    15
    Title
    Unstern! Sinistre, disastro, S208/R80
    Duration
    05:21
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  16. 16 Canteyodjaya 11:55
    Track
    16
    Title
    Canteyodjaya
    Duration
    11:55
    Composer
    Olivier Messiaen
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén
  17. 17 No. 2. St. Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots 08:07
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 2. St. Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots
    Duration
    08:07
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Fredrik Ullén