Messiaen's Organ works

[neuroticdog]

Hello all,

So I kinda got this bug up my keester to listen to some classical organ music. (wait...does that sound right???)

I remember someone (here perhaps) pointing in the direction of Messiaen so I acquired the Complete Organ Works performed by Olivier Latry on DG.

Listend to a good chunk of it so far and really enjoying it. Parts of this are bone shaking in power and intensity and other parts boarder on minimalism and low key.

Yes, really enjoying it so far.

Anyone care to comment about this or other cool classical organ music?

best
Michael

[dt2]

Messiaen's organ works are largely in a class of their own.

My favorite organ work, however, is Bolcom's Black Host

[dt2]

And for a more traditional thing, Charles-Marie Widor's organ symphonies are nice.

[jake]

Messiaen’s organ works? So does mine, but I didn’t start a thread about it.

[Zeuhlmate]

Messiaen’s organ works? So does mine, but I didn’t start a thread about it.

Messian's organ has a life of its own.

[walt]

I've been a fan of Messiaen's organ works for many years;i've posted a few of them here over the last few years.They were among the first 20th century music a friend turned me on to way back when.

Off on a tangent;Jeanne Desmessieux (1921-1968) was a French organist/pianist/composer.Her organ music is well worth checking out,imo.



I've posted this clip every so often.One of my favorite works for organ;Satie-Messe des Pauvres.This version omits the choir(don't ask me why).

Turn it up.

[chalkpie]

Most Messiaen is great stuff and worth an ear. 2+ hours of any organ music gets me itchy after a while, so generally I prefer his chamber and orchestral works. But these organ works are so crazy and powerful. Vingt Regards (piano) is an absolute masterwork and one of my fav Messiaen keyboard works...its sort of like Debussy Preludes on mescaline and absinthe.

[GuitarGeek]

I've got two discs of Messiaen's organ music on Koch. I think the CD's came out back in the 90's, but I believe the recordings are much older. If I remember correctly there was a third volume that was released at the same time, but I never got around to getting it. I also have a disc that ECM released around the 90's. Some pretty intense stuff.

[Troopers For Sound]

It's pretty wild actually seeing some of this be performed...here's Meditation 2 from Meditations sur la mystere de la Sainte Trinite, which is my personal favourite Messiaen organ cycle - especially parts 5, 6 and 8.

Matt.

[Dan Roth]

And for a more traditional thing, Charles-Marie Widor's organ symphonies are nice.

This is a great piece, and of course the main motif from the Toccata was used on Yes' Machine Messiah.

[progmatist]

I would also recommend Guilmant's Symphonies for Organ and Orchestra, and Rheinberger's and Poulenc's Organ Concertos. And who can forget the ever popular Saint Saens' 3rd Symphony. Posting them here would exceed the video limit of this forum.

[helicase]

I've posted this clip every so often.One of my favorite works for organ;Satie-Messe des Pauvres.This version omits the choir(don't ask me why).

I heard you on previous occasions and I agree it's a great organ piece. I also love the Górecki that appears on the disc from your youtube video:


Another favourite:

[SunshipVoyager1976]

Hugh Banton (VdGG) has some nice classical organ pieces recorded.

[StarThrower]

I have the Jennifer Bate box of Messiaen organ works. I'm not a regular listener of organ music but I also get into Bach, Buxtehude, and Max Reger occasionally. Reger wrote a huge volume of music and you can find all of his organ works on the Naxos label. Hindemith wrote some interesting stuff too and there's a good disc on the Apex label.

[Rick L.]

As far as old stuff, I definitely dig the Bach organ works. Killer.

For "newer" stuff, I recommend checking out Lou Harrison's Concerto for Organ and Percussion Orchestra form the freakin' awesome American Mavericks CD



If you wanna check out some more "avant-garde" stuff with electric organ, check out Axel Borup-Jorgensen's Musica Autumnalis.



Or, don't. Also an option.

[walt]

Kali Malone