Turangalîla-Symphonie

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The Turangalîla-Symphonie is a large-scale piece of orchestral music by Olivier Messiaen. It was written from 1946 to 1948, on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was premiered by that orchestra on December 2, 1949, conducted by Leonard Bernstein in Boston. Koussevitzky's commission did not specify the duration, orchestral forces or style of the piece, allowing the decision to be up to the composer. Serge Koussevitzky was billed to conduct the premiere but fell ill and the task was then given to Bernstein, with Messiaen's second wife Yvonne Loriod on piano and Ginette Martenot on Ondes Martenot for the first performance^[1]. Yvonne's sister Jeanne Loriod was the Ondes Martenot player in many subsequent performances.

Contents 1 Concept 2 Orchestration 3 Structure 4 References

[edit] Concept

While most of Messiaen's compositions are religious in inspiration, at the time of writing the symphony the composer was fascinated by the myth of Tristan and Isolde, and the Turangalîla Symphony forms the central work in his trilogy of compositions concerned with the themes of romantic love and death — the other pieces are Harawi (poème d'amour et de mort) for piano with soprano and Cinq rechants for unaccompanied choir. It is considered a 20th century masterpiece and over 70 minutes in length. When asked about the meaning of the work's duration in its ten movements and the reason for the use of the Ondes Martenot, Messiaen simply replied, "It's a amoresong."

Messiaen derived the title of the work from two Sanskrit words, turanga and lîla, which roughly translate into English as "love song and hymn of joy, time, movement, rhythm, life, and death."^[2] He described the joy of Turangalîla as "superhuman, overflowing, dazzling and abandoned".

The work was revised in 1990^[1].

[edit] Orchestration

The Turangalîla-Symphonie is scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 1 trumpet in D, 1 cornet, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, piano solo, celesta, at least 5 and up to 10^[3] percussionists (playing vibraphone, keyed and mallet glockenspiels, triangle, temple blocks and wood block, cymbals (clash and three types of suspended), tam tam, tambourine, maracas, snare drum, Provençal tabor, bass drum, tubular bells) and strings (32 violins, 14 violas, 12 cellos and 10 double basses), as well as an Ondes Martenot^[1]. The demanding piano part includes several solo cadenzas.

[edit] Structure

The work is in ten movements, linked by common themes and musical ideas:

1. Introduction. Modéré, un peu vif: A "curtain raiser" introducing two important themes: one for heavy brass (the "statue theme") and a quiet flourish for two clarinets (the "flower theme") with a terrifying dance section.
2. Chant d’amour (Love song) 1. Modéré, lourd: Fast energetic music and slow music signifying physical and tender love.
3. Turangalîla 1. Presque lent, rêveur: A representation of death and pain.
4. Chant d’amour 2. Bien modéré: The playfulness and expressivity of love.
5. Joie du Sang des Étoiles (Joy of the Blood of the Stars). Vif, passionné avec joie: A celebration of physical and carnal love.
6. Jardin du Sommeil d’amour (Garden of Love’s Sleep). Très modéré, très tendre: The tenderness that follows physical exuberance.
7. Turangalîla 2. Un peu vif, bien modéré: A dark and violent representation of the darker aspects of love.
8. Développement d’amour (Development of Love). Bien modéré: Considered the most complex movement with the irreconcilability of the physical and tender.
9. Turangalîla 3. Bien modéré: A movement of sphinx-like calm.
10. Final. Modéré, presque vif, avec une grande joie: Celebratory joyous music of transcendental physical energy.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Full score, pub, Durand.
2. ^ Some of the information in this article can be found in the program notes, written by Messiaen, provided with the DG recording by Orchestre de l'Opéra Bastille.
3. ^ Percussion Instrumentation Catalog, Bo Holmstrand, pub. Educational Music Service