Olivier Messiaen was known for his love of birds and the spirituality of nature. Commissioned in 1971 by Alice Tully to write a work commemorating the United States Bicentennial, the composer chose to depict the stark beauty of the natural cathedrals of the southwest, where birds and winds sing forth among the rocks. The resulting Des Canyons aux étoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars), which bows to the majesty of the stunning geological and astrological entities of the southwestern US landscape, still sounds as if it had been written yesterday.
The Seattle Symphony's Conductor Emeritus Ludovic Morlot regaled the audience with his uniquely French perspective on the ascension “from the canyons to the stars – and higher... the beauties of the earth” and of the physical and spiritual sky embodied in Messiaen’s towering 90-minute work. This weekend also marked a performance of the piece by the Utah Symphony, performed against the backdrop of one of its actual locations, Bryce Canyon; thus the work was resounding synchronistically throughout much of the golden west.
Through his performances and recordings of Messiaen with the orchestra, Morlot has shown himself to be a master at bringing out this music’s colors, showing special regard for the composer’s synesthesia. With intriguing videography by Deborah O’Grady, and luminous lighting designs by Seth Reiser to fuel his interpretation, Morlot immediately established the work’s fascinating atmosphere, then allowed for the observer’s imagination to take over and become immersed in the bizarre spirituality of it all.
Canyons is scored for four soloists: piano, horn, xylorimba and glockenspiel. The 12 episodes gave all of them varieties of difficult tasks, utilizing a flurry of techniques requiring vast knowledge of the more esoteric aspects of their instruments. Solo pianist Steven Osborne, himself a shining star, performed with virtuoso aplomb in each of his numerous tours de force throughout the work, notably in the interspersed Scriabin-like patterns with the horn in Le Désert, and the clusters in Les orioles and Bryce Canyon.
Principal horn Jeffrey Fair executed his intricacies with dazzling skill, starting with a prominent solo in Le Désert. The movement evokes Scriabin’s Mysterium, with its washes of sound and harsh dissonances, and Stravinsky’s Sacre du Printemps in the lush writing of the strings. In Appel interstellaire (Interstellar call), Fair performed his prolonged solo passage with arresting virtuosity.
Equally challenging were the requirements of percussionist Michael A Werner, timpanist Matthew Decker and multiple percussionist colleagues, all of whom had abundant opportunities to shine, on a variety of wildly fascinating instruments. The unusually large percussion section included a geophone, an instrument Messiaen himself invented to replicate the sound of shifting sands. The xylorimba and glockenspiel took center-stage in a number of movements, such as in the Star Wars-evoking Cedar Breaks et le don de crainte (Cedar Breaks and the gift of awe).
Morlot and his Seattle players provided first-class support for the featured soloists, the conductor's keen sense of transparency allowing all of the subtler textures to shine through in the more delicate passages. The excellent playing of the brass added an underlying sense of mystery.
It's not every day that a composer has a mountain named after him. Appropriately, Mount Messiaen is located near the Zion National Park. The composer’s affection for this part of the world shone through in this remarkable rendering. In the end, the conductor has the most difficult job in this difficult but ultimately satisfying work, and Morlot’s performance was an astonishing accomplishment.
