Naïve has some of the finest performances of Messiaen in its catalog and brings together four previous releases on six discs with this bargain-priced collection. Reinbert de Leeuw, who's featured on three of the releases, on two as conductor and one as pianist, is one of the foremost Messiaen interpreters to emerge in the late twentieth century. He is absolutely in tune with the composer's often cryptic musical logic, which in the hands of less insightful performers is not always apparent. De Leeuw's performances are fresh ...
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Naïve has some of the finest performances of Messiaen in its catalog and brings together four previous releases on six discs with this bargain-priced collection. Reinbert de Leeuw, who's featured on three of the releases, on two as conductor and one as pianist, is one of the foremost Messiaen interpreters to emerge in the late twentieth century. He is absolutely in tune with the composer's often cryptic musical logic, which in the hands of less insightful performers is not always apparent. De Leeuw's performances are fresh and spontaneous sounding, which, given Messiaen's carefully calibrated temporal irregularities must be just what the composer intended. Messiaen cultivated a sense of wonder by creating music with both ethereal serenity and startling outbursts, and de Leeuw expresses that wonder beautifully. La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus Christ, the composer's largest choral work, calls for massive choral and instrumental forces and is one of his most austere creations. In this...
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