From the Canyons to the Stars

Monumental mysticism radiates in Olivier Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles... Commissioned to write a work which commemorated the bicentenary of the American Declaration of Independence, the French composer visited the United States looking for inspiration. He found it amongst the National Parks of Utah. The wild canyons of the desert state are a perfect partner for Messiaen’s powerful spirituality. Their colourful rock formations glow throughout this unique work. Messiaen faithfully replicates the songs of birds – God’s musicians, he called them – in virtuosic writing for the orchestra.

Pianist Steven Osborne is a huge champion of Messiaen’s music. Tonight, he joins BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s Associate Artist Ludovic Morlot and horn player Martin Owen for a rare chance to hear this luminous work by one of the most distinctive voices of the 20th century.