Messiaen Turangalîla

Imagine an explosion of love on a cosmic scale. Mix in some 1940s Hollywood glamour, a pounding rhythmic workout and the sounds of a Javanese gamelan, and then wash it all in blissful impressionist colours. Now add a huge orchestra, a world-class pianist and a vintage electronic instrument straight out of science fiction and you’re still not even halfway to imagining Messiaen’s mind-boggling Turangalîla-Symphonie. 77 years after its premiere, it still sounds like nothing on earth. 

‘A love song, a hymn to joy, time, movement, rhythm, life and death’ was how Messiaen himself described this vast, vibrant psychedelic masterpiece, and Vasily Petrenko, star pianist Steven Osborne and a super-sized Royal Philharmonic Orchestra turn the volume up to 11. Inspired by the golden age of silent cinema, 1927 Studios – the visionary team behind the Komische Opera Berlin’s 2012 production of The Magic Flute (★★★★ The Guardian) – have created a silent film in direct response to this cosmic symphony. They have been inspired by the Celtic medieval legend of Tristan and Isolde – the very same that Messiaen was captivated by whilst composing Turangalîla-Symphonie. 1927 Studios has taken this story of intoxicating, doomed love and the love-death theme at the heart of Turangalîla and exploded them into an epic silent-film narrative, woven throughout the symphony.

This is music that contains multitudes: every performance is a special occasion. Don’t miss this one. 

This performance is part of the Southbank Centre’s Multitudes festival.